Science & Environment

[spaminator]

Study finds kidney disease, failure Toronto's fastest growing chronic condition
Next four fastest growing chronic conditions for Toronto are hearing loss, Crohn’s and colitis, cancer and dementia

Author of the article:Jane Stevenson
Published Mar 06, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read

A new study on the projected patterns of illness in Ontario doesn’t paint a pretty picture.


“The study shows an unprecedented strain on Ontario’s health care system, with additional pressures from a growing and aging population,” says the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA), who collaborated on the research with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto


“Ontarians will be living longer with chronic disease and there are rising rates of illness across all age groups.”

The study found in Ontario the top five fastest growing chronic conditions percentage-wise from 2020 to 2040 are kidney disease and failure, hearing loss, substance use disorders, Crohn’s and colitis, and dementia.

In Toronto specifically, they are kidney disease and failure, hearing loss, Crohn’s and colitis, cancer and dementia.


Meanwhile, the top 5 most common chronic conditions (total number of cases) projected for 2040 in both Ontario and Toronto are osteoarthritis, hypertension, diabetes, asthma and cancer.



Another gloomy note for Toronto is the notable increase of illness among 30 to 39-year-olds, with pronounced growth in major illnesses requiring preventative intervention among those aged 70 to 89.

“Our research shows that the burden of chronic disease is increasing across Ontario, and every region will face its own unique challenges,” Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, Dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and coauthor of the study, said in a statement.


“This region-specific data are crucial for developing effective public health interventions that truly meet the needs of diverse communities across Ontario.”

The study shows by 2040, approximately 3.1 million people in Ontario are expected to be living with major illness – up from 1.8 million in 2020.

One in four adults over 30 will live with a major illness in 2040
In addition, one in four adults over the age of 30 will be living with a major illness in 2040, requiring significant hospital care, up from approximately one in eight individuals in 2002.

“The data released today demonstrates that the years ahead are fraught with unprecedented challenges, but our hospitals are preparing to meet them head-on,” Anthony Dale, president and CEO of the OHA, said in a statement.


“Our member hospitals consistently lead the nation in efficiency while delivering high-quality care, but the data in today’s report is signaling an urgent need for renewed collaboration, innovative strategies and continued investments to ensure Ontario’s health system can meet the demands of a rapidly aging population.”

To date, this is the most comprehensive public report focused on quantifying chronic disease and multimorbidity in the Ontario population.

“This growing burden of illness will strain the system significantly in the next two decades as more Ontarians will live with chronic diseases,” the OHA said in its release.

“Ontario is at a turning point – we cannot maintain the status quo. Without significant changes and new approaches, our health system will not be able to cope. “

Study finds kidney disease, failure Toronto's fastest growing chronic condition

A new study say the fastest growing chronic condition in Toronto is kidney disease and failure. Read more.

torontosun.com

 

[Taxslave2]

Ontario is at a turning point – we cannot maintain the status quo. Without significant changes and new approaches, our health system will not be able to cope. “

Proper diet. Quit eating processed foods. Maybe see what the nuke plants are spewing into the atmosphere.

 

[spaminator]

Calgary woman who went blind due to methanol poisoning starts petition for education
King was blinded after she drank methanol-lace alcohol in Bali in 2011

Author of the article:Jane Stevenson
Published Mar 15, 2026 • 4 minute read

Ashley King
Blind Calgary actress Ashley King started a petition to get more education out about methanol poisoning in countries like Bali. Photo by SUPPLIED /Jennifer Chipperfield
Calgary actress Ashley King is trying to prevent the horrible situation that led her to going blind from happening to someone else.


King, 33, was a 19-year-old backpacker back in 2011 when she was poisoned by a methanol-tainted cocktail at a nightclub (now closed) in Kuta, Bali.


Now King has gathered more than 27,000 signatures on a change.org petition since last summer to raise awareness about the potential dangers of drinking abroad.

“I remember (drinking) like a fruity cocktail mixed beverage and they were serving them in reusable water bottles so you wouldn’t spill your drink while you were dancing,” said King, currently rehearsing a new play, Lazy Susan, premiering next week at Calgary’s disability theatre company, Inside Out. “It had a lid. (I) didn’t really think anything of it.”

That was a Tuesday night.

By Thursday afternoon, after she’d flown to Christchurch in New Zealand via Sydney, Australia on Wednesday, she said she started to feel “really out of it.”


King’s luggage had been lost, so she checked into a hostel in Christchurch and went straight to bed. Upon waking, she said she noticed the light was very dim, even though it was noon.

“All of a sudden, I couldn’t breathe and I was gasping for air,” King said. “I thought maybe I was having an asthma attack or something because I’ve had an inhaler my entire life.”

She made her way down to reception and staff took her to a walk-in clinic, but her eyesight was getting worse, so they took her to the hospital, where she went completely blind (she has 2% of her eyesight left now).

Ashley King
Ashley King, circa 2011, in Bali (change.org) Photo by change.org
Her blood results eventually showed a large amount of methanol in her system.

King said the only treatment was alcohol, which leads to the body no longer breaking down the methanol. Instead, it breaks down the alcohol.


“So they basically had to get me very, very, very intoxicated in the hospital,” she said. “But the drunker I got, the more I could breathe and the more I could see.”

The doctor told King her mother was flying to Christchurch as they wheeled her into ICU where they were going to exchange her blood for new blood.

King lucky to alive
The next day she could see a little bit but it was what she called “very static,” and the doctors told her she was lucky to be alive and her optic nerves were likely dying.

After a week, she was an outpatient who came to the hospital for tests daily, and after a month she finally flew home to Calgary.

“They were treating me like somebody who needed to see a specialist,” said King once back home. “So when I found my vision was really getting worse, I went into emergency, like someone needs to see me.”


Eventually, they said there was nothing they could do and gave her anti-depressants.

“The best thing they can do is early intervention and try and get the methanol out of your system as soon as they can, in order to restore your eye sight,” King said. “But once the damage has already happened it’s pretty irreversible.”

60 Minutes Australia produced a 2025 report on methanol poisoning of multiple backpackers in Laos, but when King was poisoned she struggled to find more information about others with the same fate.



Feds warning about Bali
That Laos report led to the Canadian government including a warning to travellers against methanol poisoning in Bali. (Something that King said didn’t exist when she travelled. She said she had looked at the site before she went.)


“Social media is so much more prevalent (about the topic) now,” said King, who premiered her self-penned play about her experience, Static: A Party Girl’s Memoir, last year (based on her limited podcast of the same name). “Now I’ve found so many people over the years who have been poisoned.”

According to the World Health Organization, methanol poisoning is a significant issue, especially in countries lacking stringent regulations or where counterfeit alcohol circulates freely.

In her petition, King is calling on the Canadian transport and education ministers to implement airport safety reforms, airline safety announcement warnings and school curriculum changes that would educate about the risks of methanol poisoning in high-risk destinations.

She said she realizes these are big asks and so far has only had one meeting with WestJet’s head office in Calgary last year “and they seem very interested. I haven’t heard anything from (Air Canada, or the transport and education ministers) but my hope is that with change.org, they seem to have a lot of faith in my campaign, that it can make a difference.”

An inquiry to WestJet by the Sun wasn’t immediately answered.

Sign the Petition

Educate travelers on the dangers of methanol poisoning in airports & schools

change.org

Calgary woman who went blind due to methanol poisoning starts petition for education

Calgary actress Ashley King is trying to prevent the horrible situation that led her to going blind from happening to someone else. More.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Florida bill banning marriage with first cousin fails
The state of West Virginia banned the unholy union of cousins in 1955. Yet, Florida has yet to follow suit.

Author of the article:Eddie Chau
Published Mar 18, 2026 • 1 minute read

Florida state seal flag.
Florida is one of 18 states where marrying your first cousin is legal. Photo by Getty Images
If you love your first cousin so much that you want to marry them, there’s still a chance to do so in Florida.


That’s because a house bill that would’ve banned marriage between first cousins did not pass.


Florida is one of 18 states in the United States of America where marrying your first cousin is perfectly legal, a fact that surprises residents and raises questions about whether such an act should be allowed.

The state of West Virginia banned the unholy union of cousins in 1955. Florida has yet to follow suit.

House Bill 733
It’s not known why House Bill 733, which would’ve banned cousin marriages, did not pass.

Several bills in Florida faced challenges as the state legislature experienced gridlock, failing to pass priorities such as a budget and decreases in property taxes.

Doug Schmidt, a resident of Cape Coral, Fla., told CNN: “It’s pretty unusual they would have that still in the state. It should have been banned many years ago.”


“I can’t understand why you wouldn’t take action just to get it off the legislation,” said Schmidt.
Famous people who have married their cousins
Some notable people who have had wedded bliss with their cousins include theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, who married Elsa Löwenthal, who is both his first cousin on his mother’s side and second cousin on his father’s; and former U.S. president Franklin Roosevelt, his fifth cousin removed.
Cousin marriage accounts for about 250,000 unions in the U.S., CNN reported. The practice is allowed in some countries, such as those in the Middle East and North Africa.

Florida bill against marrying your first cousin fails

Florida is one of 18 states where marrying your first cousin is legal, a fact that surprises many residents and has sparked questions about why the practice remains permissible.

ctvnews.ca

Florida bill banning marriage with first cousin fails

If you love your first cousin so much that you wanted to marry them, there's still a chance to do so in Florida. Read more.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Florida bill banning marriage with first cousin fails
The state of West Virginia banned the unholy union of cousins in 1955. Yet, Florida has yet to follow suit.

Author of the article:Eddie Chau
Published Mar 18, 2026 • 1 minute read

Florida state seal flag.
Florida is one of 18 states where marrying your first cousin is legal. Photo by Getty Images
If you love your first cousin so much that you want to marry them, there’s still a chance to do so in Florida.


That’s because a house bill that would’ve banned marriage between first cousins did not pass.


Florida is one of 18 states in the United States of America where marrying your first cousin is perfectly legal, a fact that surprises residents and raises questions about whether such an act should be allowed.

The state of West Virginia banned the unholy union of cousins in 1955. Florida has yet to follow suit.

House Bill 733
It’s not known why House Bill 733, which would’ve banned cousin marriages, did not pass.

Several bills in Florida faced challenges as the state legislature experienced gridlock, failing to pass priorities such as a budget and decreases in property taxes.

Doug Schmidt, a resident of Cape Coral, Fla., told CNN: “It’s pretty unusual they would have that still in the state. It should have been banned many years ago.”


“I can’t understand why you wouldn’t take action just to get it off the legislation,” said Schmidt.
Famous people who have married their cousins
Some notable people who have had wedded bliss with their cousins include theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, who married Elsa Löwenthal, who is both his first cousin on his mother’s side and second cousin on his father’s; and former U.S. president Franklin Roosevelt, his fifth cousin removed.
Cousin marriage accounts for about 250,000 unions in the U.S., CNN reported. The practice is allowed in some countries, such as those in the Middle East and North Africa.

Florida bill against marrying your first cousin fails

Florida is one of 18 states where marrying your first cousin is legal, a fact that surprises many residents and has sparked questions about why the practice remains permissible.

ctvnews.ca

Florida bill banning marriage with first cousin fails

If you love your first cousin so much that you wanted to marry them, there's still a chance to do so in Florida. Read more.

torontosun.com

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Florida bill banning marriage with first cousin fails
The state of West Virginia banned the unholy union of cousins in 1955. Yet, Florida has yet to follow suit.

According to what religion is cousin marriage "unholy?"

 

[Ron in Regina]

According to what religion is cousin marriage "unholy?"

Good question. No idea so I Googled it.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

It's also not forbidden by either the Old or New Testaments.

 

[spaminator]

What to know about U.K.'s deadly meningitis outbreak
Most of the cases are linked to the University of Kent in the historic cathedral city of Canterbury

Author of the article:Eddie Chau
Published Mar 20, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read

A student holds information about the Meningitis B vaccine outside the sports hall on the University of Kent campus on March 19, 2026 in Canterbury, England. Photo by Dan Kitwood /Getty Images
Health officials in the U.K. are hoping to contain the spread of meningitis after 29 reported cases of the deadly disease were believed to have originated in the county of Kent in southeast England.


The outbreak was described as unprecedented by Health Secretary Wes Streeting. The first case of meningitis was confirmed on March 13.


The spread of the disease has so far killed one university student and a student from a nearby school, which prompted health officials to rapidly roll out medical intervention.

Most of the cases were linked to the University of Kent in the historic cathedral city of Canterbury. Students are being offered antibiotics as well as a vaccination against the strain identified as the source of the outbreak.

Here’s what to know about the disease and the outbreak:

What is meningitis?
Meningitis is a potentially deadly infection that causes inflammation of the brain or spinal cord linings, which can lead to sepsis.


The U.K. outbreak comes from bacterial meningitis, which is rarer and deadlier than the viral type.

Symptoms include headache, fever, drowsiness, a stiff neck or rash.

The disease can progress rapidly and can spread through close contact, like kissing or sharing of vapes or drinks.

More than two million people contract meningitis annually worldwide, according to the Meningitis Research Foundation, with 80% of them in developing countries.

Meningitis outbreaks are common among university students in the West.

Where does meningitis come from?
Meningitis can result from meningococcal disease, a serious illness caused by meningococcal bacteria.

It’s normally spread by people who carry the bacteria in the back of their throat or nose, but symptoms don’t develop.


There are multiple strains of the bacteria. In the U.K. outbreak, there are at least nine confirmed cases of meningitis B, the most common in the country.

The epicentre of the U.K. outbreak is believed to be the Club Chemistry nightclub in Canterbury, according to Streeting, with at least 10 confirmed cases from the club between March 5 and 7.

A student receives the Meningitis B vaccine in the sports hall on the University of Kent campus on March 19, 2026 in Canterbury, England. Photo by Dan Kitwood /Getty Images
How widespread is the outbreak?
As of Friday, at least 29 cases were being investigated, the BBC reported. Of which, 13 were confirmed to be meningitis B, the Guardian reported.

The first confirmed case was reported on March 13. Two people have died so far.

Many of those affected are University of Kent students. There have also been cases in four Kent schools and a London school.


Officials weren’t able to confirm whether the outbreak had been contained as of Thursday.

Why is the outbreak unprecedented?
The outbreak is unprecedented because of its unusual speed and spread in such a short span of time.

Meningitis tends to happen in small clusters in the U.K.

“In my 35 years working in medicine, in healthcare and hospitals, this is the most cases I’ve seen in a single weekend with this type of infection,” Health Security Agency (UKHSA) head Susan Hopkins said.

“This looks like a superspreader event, with ongoing spread within the halls of residence in the universities.

The UKHSA was alerted to the first case on March 13 and began tracing contacts.

The following day, France informed U.K. authorities of a case of a person who had been at the university and was hospitalized in France.


Samples collected from patients are being analyzed in the laboratory, which could give a better picture of the strain and why the infection has been more widespread.

What has the official response been?
Health officials are working fast to identify close contacts of those who fell ill. Multiple health clinics have also been set up in Canterbury to distribute antibiotics.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged anyone who was at the nightclub the weekend of the outbreak to get antibiotics to help stop the spread.

The overall risk to the general public remains low.

Bacterial meningitis normally needs hospital treatment.

Meningitis can be prevented via vaccines. The University of Kent has rolled out a targeted vaccination program to provide 5,000 shots to students.

While vaccines against some strains are administered routinely to children in the U.K., the shot against meningitis B has only been on the immunization schedule since 2015.

That year, the U.K. became the first country in the world to add the shot to its program.

Streeting said it’s “not necessary” for people to rush out and buy vaccines in response to the outbreak.

— With files from AFP and The Associated Press

Too early to say if meningitis outbreak has peaked, health officials say

Meanwhile, scientists believe the vaccine is effective against the strain of Meningitis B seen in Kent, but say more research is needed on why it spread so rapidly.

bbc.com

What to know about U.K.'s deadly meningitis outbreak

Most of the cases were linked to the University of Kent in the historic cathedral city of Canterbury. Find out the latest.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Texas teen loses three of her limbs after flu complications
Kaydin Ruiz, 13, developed a serious secondary infection, strep pneumonia

Author of the article:Eddie Chau
Published Mar 20, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 1 minute read

Kaydin Ruiz of Texas in hospital.
Kaydin Ruiz of Texas in hospital. Photo by Screenshot /GoFundMe
What appeared to be symptoms of a common flu have cost a Texas teen three of her limbs due to life-altering complications.


Kaydin Ruiz, 13, fell ill with what were considered typical flu-like symptoms — fever, chill and body aches.


However, her condition worsened within days, her mother, Amanda Valdez, said, as reported by KREM 2 News.

According to Valdez, Ruiz visited the hospital for treatment and was sent home from the ER with instructions to hydrate. However, she soon returned after the teen had turned blue and had difficulty breathing.

Doctors at Texas Children’s Hospital in San Antonio said Ruiz had developed a serious secondary infection, strep pneumonia, a gram-positive bacterium that can cause mild to life-threatening infections. The infection led to septic shock and multiple organ failure.

Her heart function dropped significantly and had even stopped at one point.


“Never in a million years did I think that a flu B would lead to something like this,” Valdez said, per KREM 2 News.

Amputation saved her life
Doctors at the hospital said the flu on its own can be dangerous, but it can become severe when combined with infections like strep pneumonia.

Experts stated toxins from the infection led to blood clotting in the wrong areas.

In order to save Ruiz’s life, doctors had to amputate both her legs and one arm, WTSP reported.

“How do you tell your kid that, for one, now she’s covered in scars, and her whole life has changed,” her mother said.

Valdez said she is sharing her daughter’s story in hopes of raising awareness of the severe risk of seemingly mild illnesses and the potentially devastating outcomes.

Doctors say the best way to reduce the risk of illness is vaccination.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help Ruiz’s family with medical expenses. So far, it has raised more than US$31,000.

A Texas teen’s illness seemed routine — until it suddenly wasn’t

Doctors say this case shows a risk many people don’t think about.

wtsp.com

A Texas teen lost 3 limbs after flu and strep complications. Now, her family has a message they want you to hear.

A Texas teen lost 3 limbs after flu complications and a strep infection led to septic shock. Now, her family has a message they want you to hear.

krem.com

Texas teen loses three of her limbs after flu complications

Doctors said the flu on its own can be dangerous, but it can become severe when combined with infections like strep pneumonia. Read more.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Anger boils over as dental clients worry about viruses
Author of the article:Susan Gamble
Published Mar 20, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read

GEPH
Submitted
A local man says he’s “mad, sad and scared” for his family as they prepare to get blood-tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV after learning infection protocols weren’t properly followed by a Brantford dentist.


“I’m so angry,” said Andrew Dukeshire on Thursday.


“We’re supposed to feel safe with our doctors and dentists and now this has put us all at risk.”

Dukeshire’s wife, Pam, and two children, were long-time patients of Dr. George Chan who abruptly closed his St. Paul Avenue dental practice on Nov. 3 last year – the same day Grand Erie Public Health did an investigation into his infection prevention and control procedures and found 15 areas where they were lacking.

Although a report was posted on the GEPH website months ago, the health unit only notified Chan’s former clients over the last few weeks, advising them to go to their own doctors or a walk-in clinic to arrange blood tests for the viruses.

In the meantime, the health unit urged those affected to follow strict safety procedures, including getting no tattos or piercings, using condoms during sex and not sharing personal items like razors, nail clippers, toothbrushes, needles or glucose monitoring devices.


Pam Dukeshire said she had been a Chan client almost since he began his practice in 1986 and knew he was “old school.”

“He sent a letter to patients in January saying he was retiring. It was very abrupt.”

The couple said they don’t know if Chan – who couldn’t be reached for comment – was retired or stripped of his licence.

But the Royal College of Dental Surgeons still lists Chan in good standing on their website, although the health unit said their investigation has been referred to the regulatory body.

A spokesperson for the RCDSO said it can investigate, even if a dentist is no longer active, but it doesn’t make investigations public until decisions have been made.

The Dukeshires said Chan was well-liked and ran a small operation – often without a hygienist on staff.


The health unit investigation found dental tools that were being used with multiple patients weren’t being properly cleaned, stored or labelled.

GEPH declined to answer questions about how many former patients of Chan were notified by letter about the need to get blood-tested, whether the agency closed Chan’s office or he voluntarily retired on the day of a GEPH inspection, or why the health unit waited months after the clinic closed to make the patients aware of the potential risk.

Andrew Dukeshire said the demand for dozens of Chan’s patients to get bloodwork – some of them more than once due to the testing window for recent dental work – will put an unnecessary strain on the already burdened healthcare system.


“I wasn’t even one of his patients, but now this affects me!”

Dukeshire urged any former clients of Chan to follow through with the recommended blood tests.

“This is serious. Go get tested. It’s a slim chance but the last thing you want to do is hurt someone else.”

The Chan case bears a similarity to a situation in Burlington where the health authority there notified people last November of a ‘lapse’ at a clinic where at least 1,000 patients were injected with medication that may have been contaminated by unsterile needles.

All former patients were also advised to get tested for hepatitis B and C and HIV.

One man has sued the clinic after he was confirmed to have hepatitis C, alleging he was injected with an anesthetic with an unsterilized needle.

Patients not reached by letter, or those with questions can contact GEPH at 519-753-4937, ext. 440.

SGamble@postmedia.com

@EXPSGamble

Anger boils over as dental clients worry about viruses

A family is getting tested for hepatitis B and C and HIV after learning a Brantford dentist was found not following proper protocols.

torontosun.com

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Another good man oppressed by the system. No vaccines! No infection protocols! They're all a Librul conspiraceeeeee!