Disease Outbreaks

Disease outbreak investigations are an important part of CCH activities. Our investigations not only help governments, farmers and wildlife managers develop plans to stop or prevent undesired health effects in populations, but also we have examined outbreaks as indicators of the effects of environmental change on population health. Investigations have involved:

• Tularemia in pet rodents imported into British Columbia
• Multispecies outbreak of Cryptococcus on Vancouver Island
• Mass die-offs of sea birds attributed to weather effects
• A variety of investigations in farmed salmon involving newly described diseases or epidemic manifestations of known infectious and environmental problems
• Zoonotic disease outbreak investigations involving people and animals such as Q-fever and cryptosporidiosis
• Examination of dead or stranded marine mammals
• Deformities and death in cattle attributed to exposure to petroleum products