Should Canada be more concerned about Ebola virus as World Cup approaches?

Added: 2026-05-19

[00:00:00]It's time now for our weekly check-up with Dr. Isaac Bogoch. Dr. Bogoch, great to see you.

[00:00:05]Uh happy back to work after the long weekend. Uh I hope you enjoyed it.

[00:00:11]Thank you. Yeah, it was nice. It was relaxing. I hope you had a good one as well.

[00:00:13]>> Yeah, very nice to be outside finally and enjoy the weather. Uh unfortunately, this is making some some big news. The WHO has declared an international emergency after the Ebola outbreak. This is involving, I think, like a rare or newer strain or strand in the DRC has killed more than 120 people. And apparently, the US is already increasing their airport screening. So, with one confirmed case in the US now and major international events like the World Cup uh coming in less than a month to Toronto, should Canada be taking any additional precautions now? Or is the current risk still considered low for us?

[00:00:51]Yeah, I mean, this would be a very rare, but obviously not 0% risk for exporting cases. We saw in the 2014 uh Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa, where there were 30,000 uh people infected and sadly, 11,000 deaths. There were very few, but still some uh cases that traveled through commercial airlines to distant locations, to, for example, Nigeria and of course, uh to the United States. So, this is the time where governments around the world will start looking at their interactions and their uh proximity through air travel with the affected countries. And they might You might start seeing screening questions in airports. And the other key thing, of course, is ensuring people who are in the impacted areas have the appropriate care and uh and necessary public health and health care uh resources available to them. Cuz if we start walling off that area, then you also start walling off aid and support to that area, which makes this outbreak even bigger, which makes it an even worse problem for the people in that area, and then it makes it even a worse problem uh and a greater risk for exportation globally. So, the key thing here is support, support, support to ensure it gets under control as quickly as possible. Yeah, absolutely. Okay, and what's the latest on the hantavirus situation connected to that Antarctic cruise ship? And you know, we heard about another Canadian in BC now self-isolating.

[00:02:16]Everyday it seems like okay, they're discovering more and more people have tested positive for it connected to that cruise ship. Should we be worried about any broader public health risk at this point or does this also still appear to be a very contained situation and low risk for us? So far Oh, great point. So far very contained so far. And and with the you know, it's it would be unsurprising if we see more cases pop up related to the cruise ship, right?

[00:02:42]That's a pretty confined environment. We know that there were some serious exposures there. We know that cruise ships are well known to amplify outbreaks of infections including respiratory and gastrointestinal infections and we're right in the incubation period. This week is where we'll likely see more cases pop up maybe in Canada and maybe elsewhere in the world. Things to watch out for include cases that are popping up that are not linked to the cruise ship or not linked to close contacts or contacts through travel. That's what we should be watching out for. But for now, we're taking all the right steps to ensure that everyone who is a close contact is in in isolation. They get the appropriate medical care and the appropriate screening. Yeah, I really appreciate you saying that, you know, watching for the cases that are popping up not related to the cruise ship cuz that would imply, you know, really a different kind of transmission that's much more I guess high between humans. Very quickly, Dr. Bogoch, Ontario expected to see a surge in ticks this summer coming from the US. Experts linking it to warmer weather and climate change. Are you concerned we could see a significant rise in Lyme disease cases here as a result? And what do Canadians still need to know about tick safety?

[00:03:53]Jennifer, we already have been seeing this for the past decades, okay? Every year, year after year, we diagnose more cases of Lyme in Canada. Ticks are surviving and thriving in more northern latitudes, and we're seeing more and more tick-transmitted illnesses here in Canada. There's Lyme, I appreciate we're running out of time, but there's other tick-transmitted illnesses that have crept their way into Canada. Funny names that people might not have heard of, but should be familiar with. Anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Okay, these are we're going to start to see these more and more. We already have seen them in Canada, and we're sadly going to see more and more of them.

[00:04:29]Protect yourselves First of all, enjoy the outdoors, okay?

[00:04:33]We have the best summers on the planet.

[00:04:35]I hope everyone has a wonderful time outside. We're blessed to live in the best country in the world. Having said that, when you come in from tick country, you know, tall grass or forested areas, do a tick check. Pull them off immediately. Anyone has any questions or concerns, go speak with a healthcare provider. Insect repellent works very well as well to keep these at bay. But again, do a tick check when you come in and pull them off if you see them. Yeah, okay, absolutely. Very important points, Dr. Bogoch. We got through a lot. Always appreciate your time. Enjoy the shortened work week, and we'll chat again next week. Take care.

[00:05:05]Thank you. Have a good one.