The present study underscores the value of continued monitoring and evaluation of trends in HIV and HCV infection, which remain prevalent in federal penitentiaries. Higher rates of testing are warranted for at-risk inmates to improve early detection of infection and provide infected inmates with timely care and treatment. For those who remain free of infection, testing can provide the additional benefits of exposing inmates to health counselling and for the reinforcement of prevention messages. The period of incarceration is also a critical opportunity to link inmates with outside resources in preparation for release to the community.

Objective-The admission to hospital of three construction workers with acute respiratory distress caused by inhalation of chlorine gas prompted the inspection of a building site located in a kraft pulpmill. The accidental emissions had taken place in the bleach plant and the construction workers assigned there were surveyed to uncover possible large scale health effects. Design and participants-A questionnaire was presented to 281 workers (participation rate = 97%); 257 workers reported an average of 24 exposure episodes to chlorine and derivatives over a three to six month period. The air monitoring data available from the pulpmill's industrial hygienist were not useful in linking specific events reported by the workers to environmental conditions in the bleach plant.

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Health surveillance is the ongoing, systematic use of routinely collected health data to guide public health action in a timely fashion. This paper describes the creation and growth of national surveillance systems in Canada and their impact on chronic disease and injury prevention. In 2008, the authors started a review process to retrace the history of the early development of national chronic disease surveillance in Canada from 1960 to 2000. A 1967 publication describes the history of the development of the Laboratory of Hygiene from 1921 to 1967. This review is a sequel to that paper and describes the history of the development of national chronic disease surveillance in Canada before and after the formation of the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control (LCDC).