Brock responding to reports of gastrointestinal illnesses on campus – The Brock News - Brock University

By Lee GriffiThe sick season is upon us. Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) says COVID-19, influenza and other respiratory viruses are circulating in the area. Since the end of August, five respiratory illness outbreaks have been reported at long-term care homes in Huron and Perth counties. “The best way to avoid and minimize respiratory illnesses is with immunization,” said Dr. Miriam Klassen, medical officer of health at HPPH. “It is very important to stay up to date on the vaccines you are eligible for to protect yourself and those around you. Immunization is safe and effective.”All Ontario residents six months of age and older are eligible to receive influenza and COVID-19 vaccines, while select high-risk groups are eligible for RSV immunization. Long-term care and retirement homes are required to follow provincial outbreak prevention and management guidance. When an outbreak is identified, homes work with public health to implement measures aimed at reducing transmission and protecting residents.

TRENTON, NJ – State officials are urging residents to continue to take simple, proactive steps to protect themselves and their families from mosquito-borne illness. To date in 2026, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) is reporting 26 cases of West Nile virus (WNV), including the State’s first confirmed death. Of these, 19 individuals have experienced neurological illness, and 69 percent of all cases have occurred in persons 60 years of age and older. Fourteen of the WNV cases became ill in the last week of August or in September, and several more cases are currently under investigation. Monmouth County has reported the highest number of cases (6), followed by Mercer (4) and Camden (3) counties.

Sandra Guzmán is director at the Climate Finance Group for Latin America and the Caribbean (GFLAC), and Raju Pandit Chhetri is lead climate finance negotiator for the least-developed countries at the UNFCCC. Recent catastrophic floods in Nepal starkly remind us that the climate crisis demands urgent action. The initial estimate that the country will need to spend $5 billion on recovery will likely remain a major concern. However, that is only one part of the story. No financial metric can capture the value of lives lost in crises like this. And this is not a standalone event; from the mountains of Nepal to the coastlines of Latin America and the Caribbean, developing countries are increasingly facing severe climate impacts. The average annual loss from climate disasters in the Latin American and Caribbean region is estimated at $58 billion. Human suffering remains immeasurable in all these instances.

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization says a possible case of pneumonic plague in Russia presents a "very low" risk outside the country as investigators look into what caused the death of a lab employee there last week. The U. N. health agency said Tuesday that it has been in contact with Russian authorities following reports of the death last week of a woman who worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East.