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Resurgence of scabies: 19 positive cases confirmed at the Magog CHSLD
MARIANNE LACHAPELLE
Monday, October 28, 2024 5:09 PM
An outbreak of scabies continues to hit the Magog CHSLD, where 19 of the 31 residents of the wandering unit are infected.
Last September, the CHSLD was dealing with a scabies outbreak when six positive cases were identified. An employee had also denounced the situation.
France Dubé's mother has been spared, for now, but her daughter is worried.
"It's very difficult to communicate with her. She cries a lot. We go there less and it shows. Plus, she's always in a jacket and stockings," she said.
Her mother, Rita Potvin, has Alzheimer's disease and struggles to recognize her daughter when she visits. Because of the outbreak, visits are less frequent.
"Last Thursday I went to see my mother and the attendant was guarding a door. I had to go help my mother to the toilet, clean her, put her back in place and put her back to bed," she added.
Residents were separated into three separate zones last week. The red zone for infected patients, the yellow zone for those with lesions and green for those without lesions.
A way to contain the outbreak which is giving the authorities a hard time, while the first case was recorded at the end of 2023.
“At the start of the outbreak, we put the measures in place and we saw a slight decrease, so we were confident about the turn of events,” said Marie-Pierre Plante, interim assistant to the general director and assistant for infection prevention and control.
"However, there were other cases afterwards and that is why we acted at that time to contain the outbreak," she added.
Despite these precautions, the CIUSSS has no illusions: the outbreak will not be able to be stopped before February 2025.
"To end a scabies outbreak, it takes 12 weeks, so two incubation periods. It is at least 12 weeks after the last case that we can say that the outbreak is truly over," it was specified.
A reality that worries the CHLSD users committee.
"I think the action plan could have been implemented more quickly before it spread," said Jean-Guy Gingras, member of the CHLSD users' committee.
Remember that after being exposed to the parasite, the average incubation time is three weeks, but contagion is immediate.
Resurgence of scabies: 19 positive cases confirmed at the Magog CHSLD
MARIANNE LACHAPELLE
Monday, October 28, 2024 5:09 PM
An outbreak of scabies continues to hit the Magog CHSLD, where 19 of the 31 residents of the wandering unit are infected.
Last September, the CHSLD was dealing with a scabies outbreak when six positive cases were identified. An employee had also denounced the situation.
France Dubé's mother has been spared, for now, but her daughter is worried.
"It's very difficult to communicate with her. She cries a lot. We go there less and it shows. Plus, she's always in a jacket and stockings," she said.
Her mother, Rita Potvin, has Alzheimer's disease and struggles to recognize her daughter when she visits. Because of the outbreak, visits are less frequent.
"Last Thursday I went to see my mother and the attendant was guarding a door. I had to go help my mother to the toilet, clean her, put her back in place and put her back to bed," she added.
Residents were separated into three separate zones last week. The red zone for infected patients, the yellow zone for those with lesions and green for those without lesions.
A way to contain the outbreak which is giving the authorities a hard time, while the first case was recorded at the end of 2023.
“At the start of the outbreak, we put the measures in place and we saw a slight decrease, so we were confident about the turn of events,” said Marie-Pierre Plante, interim assistant to the general director and assistant for infection prevention and control.
"However, there were other cases afterwards and that is why we acted at that time to contain the outbreak," she added.
Despite these precautions, the CIUSSS has no illusions: the outbreak will not be able to be stopped before February 2025.
"To end a scabies outbreak, it takes 12 weeks, so two incubation periods. It is at least 12 weeks after the last case that we can say that the outbreak is truly over," it was specified.
A reality that worries the CHLSD users committee.
"I think the action plan could have been implemented more quickly before it spread," said Jean-Guy Gingras, member of the CHLSD users' committee.
Remember that after being exposed to the parasite, the average incubation time is three weeks, but contagion is immediate.