Grey Bruce Public Health says the region continues to rank among the highest rates in the province for certain enteric illness.
Otherwise known as gastrointestinal or foodborne illnesses, the GBPH board recently heard an update on how the Infectious Diseases (ID) team responded to 195 of these cases in 2024.
The Health Units regularly reports between 150 and 200 cases of these illnesses a year, which makes up about a third of all reportable cases investigated by the ID team. That includes some of the highest rates of Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, Salmonella, and E. Coli infections in the province per 100,000 people.
Physician Consultant Dr. Brittany Graham said part of that is due to the lifestyle, as the main industry in the area is a risk factor for these illnesses.
"Agriculture is an important risk factor for enteric illnesses because handling animals and items in their environment can increase the risk of acquiring bacteria that cause a gastrointestinal illness," she said. "Animal environments can also lead to contamination of food and water sources, so private drinking wells can also be a source of enteric illness."
Graham says most cases that come to the health unit get assigned an investigator who will conduct a detailed interview, aiming to identify the most likely source. That can often lead education depending on case needs, like guidance on improving food handling practices, the risks of consuming raw milk, or how to test private wells and ways to render water safe while test results are pending.
The report to the board of health from Dr. Ian Arra, Medical Officer of Health, also outlined how these investigations can have far-reaching impacts, most notably with a recent investigation of an uncommon Salmonella case.
"During a provincial review of these cases and the risk factors reported during their investigations, Tahini was suspected to be implicated in the illness, leading to further investigation and sampling, and an eventual nation-wide recall of the product, showing that time and attention to detail put forth by our (ID) team not only helps to protect the health of people in our communities, but also those across the country," read the report.