Infectious Diseases

Infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi. These diseases can spread from the environment or from one person to another resulting in illness in our communities. Ranging from regional epidemics to global pandemics, infectious disease emergencies require extensive public health and medical interventions. Often these emergencies arise from a new strain of virus or other pathogen that can cause severe illness and is new to the local population who subsequently have little to no immunity against it. Now, with the increase of global travel, the next infectious disease emergency could only be a flight away.

Stay Informed
It is important to seek information from credible sources during an infectious disease emergency especially when it is due to a new pathogen requiring official health authorities to study and identify its characteristics (e.g. symptoms, transmission), preventative measures and treatments. Sharing bad information about the disease, treatments, origins or people infected can have serious health outcomes and create discrimination against certain sub-populations.
The following sources provide data and information regarding local, provincial and national respiratory disease trends: Additional public health surveillance tools for other forms (e.g. enteric and foodborne, bloodborne, vectorborne, etc.) and types of infectious diseases are available from:
Before
  • Practice good hand hygiene. Washing your hands correctly is the best way to stop the spread of infections.
  • Practice good respiratory etiquette. Cough into your elbow or cover your mouth and nose with a disposable tissue when you sneeze. Immediately dispose of all used tissues in an appropriate waste bin and wash your hands right away.
  • Stay healthy by eating well, drinking lots of water, getting regular exercise and plenty of rest.
  • Stay up-to-date on your vaccinations. Check with your doctor and local health unit to determine your vaccination status and if any boosters are required.
  • Avoid attending work, school, errands and other public spaces when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
  • Create an emergency plan with consideration for services that could be closed during a pandemic such as childcare, schools, stores, public transportation, and financial institutions.
  • You may need to give health information to healthcare providers or at vaccination clinics. Keep a record of your relevant health information in your emergency kit such as:
    • health card number(s)
    • current medical condition(s)s
    • current medication and treatments
  • healthcare providers' contact information
  • When ill or identified as a close contact, you may need to stay home longer to self-isolate. Adding additional food to your kit can help make that possible on short notice.
  • Ensure your emergency kit contains medical and cleaning supplies such as:
    • a first aid kit,
    • face masks,
    • alcohol-based hand sanitizer,
    • surface and household cleaners,
    • paper towels,
    • laundry detergent,
    • disinfectants,
    • tissues, and
    • soap
During
  • Continue to practice good hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette.
  • Practice physical distancing staying at least 2 metres away from others who are not part of your household.
  • Wear a mask when in public, visiting vulnerable persons and in healthcare settings.
  • Check your emergency kit and restock or add items if necessary. However, avoid ‘panic buying’ as it can cause long-term impacts to the regular supply chain.
  • Understand how the pathogen is transmitted, disease symptoms and self-care methods by seeking information from credible sources (e.g. public health authorities) so that you can better protect yourself and take action if necessary.
  • Adhere to public health guidance and legislated requirements. The local Medical Officer of Health or provincial Chief Medical Officer of Health may institute legislated measures to reduce transmission of the pathogen. Reducing transmission rates requires the actions of all individuals.
  • Limit the number of people you are in contact with and form a ‘bubble.’ This will help limit potential transmission throughout the community.
  • Take additional precautions to avoid potentially transmitting the pathogen to persons who may be more vulnerable. This may be dependent on the pathogen involved but often includes those who are immunocompromised, have chronic illnesses, the old and very young.
  • Clean and disinfect regularly especially frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs, light switches, taps, toilets, tables and counters. Make sure to clean surfaces with soap or detergent before disinfecting.
  • Increase ventilation in your home and vehicle where possible to bring in more fresh air.
  • Get vaccinated when/if one is available and you are eligible to do so. This will teach your immune system to create antibodies that can fight the disease and eliminate or reduce symptoms, some of which can contribute to community spread (e.g. coughing, sneezing).
  • Pay attention to local media for current emergency information and instructions.
After
  • Continue to practice good hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette as well as staying home when ill.
  • Stay up-to-date on your vaccinations. If a new vaccine was developed in response to the infectious disease emergency, new versions or boosters may be required in the years to come allowing our immune systems to increase its defenses against the relatively new disease.
  • Evaluate your emergency plan and restock your emergency kit.
Additional Resources