Health Care Professionals
Primary care providers: It's respiratory season! Onboard to provide COVID-19 vaccine in your primary care setting.
Current topics
Diseases of Public Health Significance (DoPHS)
Diseases of Public Health Significance
Diseases of Public Health Significance notification form
Respiratory illnesses
Pertussis
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| Symptoms of pertussis often develop within five to ten days after contact with the bacteria. In the early stages, pertussis appears to be nothing more than a common cold. Pertussis most often starts with a runny nose, sneezing and coughing. The cough gradually gets worse over the next one to two weeks until there are episodes of repeated, violent coughing. These coughing “fits” may end in either a high pitched “whoop” sound, loss of breath or vomiting. The coughing decreases over time but can take weeks to months to go away completely. Infants under six months of age and people who have been vaccinated often do not have the “whoop” or the coughing fits. Vaccinated people who become ill with pertussis usually have only mild illness. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pertussis diagnostic testing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Recommendations for testing if pertussis is suspected It will be important to keep a stock of the viral swabs in the office or clinic.
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| Pertussis post-exposure prophylaxis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chemoprophylaxis is only recommended for contacts of confirmed cases. Chemoprophylaxis should be offered as soon as possible after exposure. It is not likely beneficial after 21 days following exposure to pertussis. This includes:
Laboratory diagnostic testing of contacts should not be done to guide decisions around who should receive chemoprophylaxis. The following antimicrobials are indicated for chemoprophylaxis among people without contraindications
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| Reporting |
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| Pertussis is a reportable infection. Suspect and confirmed pertussis infections should be reported using our online reporting form at durham.ca/DophsReport. |
Alerts and updates
FAX abouts
Durham Region Health Department disseminates timely updates to health care providers regarding current and emerging public health topics through our FAX about communications.
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| 2023 |
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| 2022 |
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| 2021 |
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IPAC Hub Spotlight Durham Region
An e-newsletter distributed electronically to long-term care homes, retirement homes and congregate living settings in Durham Region. Our newsletter is published and distributed by Durham Region Health Department, Health Protection Division in partnership with Lakeridge Health IPAC Hub (Durham IPAC Hub).
Check out the latest edition of the e-newsletter
How healthy are Durham Region residents?
We use health indicators to monitor the health status of local residents. Health data for Durham Region comes from many sources, such as the Census, surveys and hospitals.
Check out the latest Durham health statistics
Get the latest, local statistics on opioids in Durham Region including:
- Weekly number of suspected opioid overdose calls received by Region of Durham Paramedic Services
- Monthly number of confirmed opioid overdose emergency department visits
- Annual number of opioid-related deaths
Durham Region Opioid Information System
Infectious disease surveillance
Durham Region outbreak status report Durham Region respiratory virus data tracker
Forms
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Assessment |
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Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale Assessment tool |
| Deceased management |
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Apply for Health Department approval to manage a corpse with a specific communicable disease Learn more about managing corpses with specific communicable diseases |
| Dental program applications |
| Naloxone distribution |
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Ontario Naloxone Program (ONP) Eligible community agencies are now able to order naloxone kits from the Health Department to distribute to:
How to become a registered naloxone distribution site To determine eligibility please complete the ONP eligibility application. Once you complete this application, a representative from Durham Region Health Department will contact you. |
| Order |
Publicly funded sexually transmitted infection (STI) medicationsVaccinesOrder RSV vaccine for eligible 60+ high risk adults Order RSV vaccine for the Infant and High-risk Children Prevention Program The forms below are for print purposes only.
Annual fridge inspectionsAnnual fridge inspections typically occur between the summer months of June to August. You will be contacted by a Durham Region Health Department (DRHD) nurse to schedule an inspection time. If you have obtained a new fridge, contact us at 905-668-7711 extension 3063 to arrange fridge inspection prior to storing publicly funded vaccines. If you have questions or concerns about your upcoming fridge inspection, please call 905-668-7711 extension 3063. Order print resourcesOur online resource order form provides a range of print materials regarding a variety of relevant health topics. Our resources can be distributed to your patients, and are intended to assist you in your daily practice while supporting the health of your patients. |
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| Reporting |
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Tools and guidance documents
| Alcohol, cannabis, opioids and smoking | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Alcohol
Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Health
Cannabis
Opioids
Patch for Patch Program
Smoking
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| Concussions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Determining when its safe for someone diagnosed with a concussion to resume regular activities is particularly important, whether those activities are heavily sport-related or simply returning to school or work. Rowan’s LawRowan’s Law provides a framework for concussion prevention, detection, and management within amateur competitive sport. The final phase of implementation of Rowan’s Law includes the requirements for removal-from-sport and return-to-sport protocols. In addition, the Ministry of Education have also made amendments to the Education Act, such that policies on concussions are consistent with Rowan’s Law. What does this mean for health care providers? Under Rowan’s Law, physicians and nurse practitioners are the only health care providers that can medically assess and provide medical clearance for an athlete to return to unrestricted athletic participation. Based on this requirement you may see an uptick in patients seeking concussion assessments.
Resources to assist you
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| Dental and oral health | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ontario Works Dental Benefits - Adult Ontario Works recipients |
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| Illness, infection and disease | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Spore testing (biological monitoring) Diseases of public health significance Diseases of public health significance notification form
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| Immunization, vaccines and AEFI | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
COVID-19
Influenza (Flu)
Adverse event following immunization (AEFI)
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| Mental health | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Perinatal mental health care pathway | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Potassium iodide (KI) tablets | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pregnancy, babies and toddlers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Rabies post-exposure prophylaxis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sexual health and sexually transmitted infections | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Learning and educational opportunities
| Fall prevention |
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| Infection control |
| Stigma and substance use |
| Understanding Stigma – CAMH course Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) e-Learning Series |
| Vaccine storage and handling |
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