Quebec to approve advance requests for MAID as of Oct. 30

Quebec to approve advance requests for MAID as of Oct. 30

The Quebec government is following through on its promise last month to authorize certain early requests for medical assistance in dying, starting this fall. As of October 30, patients can make advance requests for the procedure before their condition renders them incapable of giving consent. Quebec adopted a law in June 2023 allowing requests from … Read more

Comedian Bob Newhart, master of sitcoms and telephone monologues, dead at 94

Comedian Bob Newhart, master of sitcoms and telephone monologues, dead at 94

Bob Newhart, the deadpan accountant-turned-comedian who became one of the most popular TV stars of his time after striking gold with a classic comedy album, has died at 94. Jerry Digney, Newhart’s publicist, says the actor died Thursday in Los Angeles after a series of short illnesses. Newhart, best remembered now as the star of … Read more

Anaplasmosis is a tick-borne disease that’s on the rise in Canada

Anaplasmosis is a tick-borne disease that’s on the rise in Canada

Tick experts are warning Canadians to be on the lookout for symptoms of a tick-borne disease whose case counts have been steadily increasing over the past 15 years. Anaplasmosis is an infection contracted by humans and animals caused by the Anaplasma phagocytophilum bacteria and spread by ticks.  In the early 2000s, provinces and territories began reporting a handful … Read more

Lyme disease might be more common, but this tick-borne disease is on the rise in Canada

Anaplasmosis is a tick-borne disease that’s on the rise in Canada

Tick experts are warning Canadians to be on the lookout for symptoms of a tick-borne disease whose case counts have been steadily increasing over the past 15 years. Anaplasmosis is an infection contracted by humans and animals caused by the Anaplasma phagocytophilum bacteria and spread by ticks.  In the early 2000s, provinces and territories began reporting a handful … Read more

Ticks could spread throughout Quebec in coming decades, says public health institute

Ticks could spread throughout Quebec in coming decades, says public health institute

Quebec’s public health institute is warning of a possible spread of the black-legged tick population in the province due to climate change. The Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) has created maps of the projected growth to help communities and governments plan and adapt over the next several decades. “These maps are actually … Read more

‘We are losing the Amazon rainforest’: Record number of wildfires in parts of Brazil

‘We are losing the Amazon rainforest’: Record number of wildfires in parts of Brazil

Fire is sucking the life out of parts of the Amazon rainforest. In Roraima State, in northern Brazil, the number of fires in February were more than five times the average, according to data from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, and blazes continued to burn through March. “We are losing the Amazon rainforest. These … Read more

Norovirus Illnesses on the Rise in the US – What You Need to Know | World News

Norovirus Illnesses on the Rise in the US – What You Need to Know | World News

NEW DELHI: Cases of highly contagious stomach bug Norovirus are on the rise in the northeastern United States, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency revealed that approximately 16% of the most recent Norovirus tests in the region were positive, exceeding the national average of 12%. … Read more

Alaskapox death brings attention to small animal virus

Alaskapox death brings attention to small animal virus

For nine years, Alaska health officials have been aware of an unusual virus causing rare, relatively mild illnesses in the Fairbanks area. But a recent case in another part of the state — this one resulting in a man’s death — has brought new attention to the  Alaskapox virus. Here’s some background on the virus. What … Read more

We swabbed GoodLife, Planet Fitness and Anytime Fitness locations to find the germiest piece of equipment

We swabbed GoodLife, Planet Fitness and Anytime Fitness locations to find the germiest piece of equipment

Sweat, heavy breathing, warm temperatures and lots of people — the gym is the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive in, which is why wiping equipment down is a normal part of gym etiquette.  But does a quick wipe really eliminate all those germs? CBC’s Marketplace swabbed equipment at several popular national gym chains to … Read more

As temperatures rise, dengue fever infections keep surging around the world

As temperatures rise, dengue fever infections keep surging around the world

This story is part of CBC Health’s Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here. In Bangladesh, roughly 300,000 people have been infected with dengue this year during the country’s worst-ever outbreak of the mosquito-transmitted disease. … Read more