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Nationwide shortage of prescription painkillers A national shortage of common prescription pain medications in Canada could last into early August. Health Canada issued a notice last week that drugs containing acetaminophen with codeine or oxycodone that are used to relieve pain are experiencing shortages. Acetaminophen with oxycodone is often under the brand Percocet, while acetaminophen combined with codeine is sometimes known as Tylenol No. 3. Other formulations include Teva-Oxycocet, Teva-Lenoltic No. 1, 2, 3 and 4, and Rivacocet. Some of the companies that manufacture both medication combinations, including Teva Canada Ltd., Laboratoire Riva Inc. and Pharmascience Inc., have reported issues around manufacturing disruptions and increased demands as causes of the shortages. The Canadian Pharmacists Association told Global News it's been working with Health Canada and is in communication with manufacturers and suppliers to assess the potential impact. Read more about how pharmacists are managing the shortage. 
266K swimming pools recalled in Canada More than five million above-ground pools sold in Canada and the U.S. are being recalled after several children drowned. The pools sold by Bestway, Intex and Polygroup feature compression straps running along the exterior. Health Canada and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission say children have used them as make-shift steps to get inside the pool which poses a drowning hazard. As of July 17, the pools are linked to the deaths of nine children in the U.S. between 2007 to 2022.
Roughly 266,000 of the pools have been sold in Canada. Health Canada says people should immediately figure out it their pool is part of the recall, and then contact Bestway, Intex or Polygroup to request a repair kit. Consumers should ensure that children cannot access the pool without supervision. People can also drain the pool until the repair can be installed. Read more for details on the models which are part of the recall. 
— THE TOPIC — West Nile virus detected in Ontario: what to watch for West Nile virus has returned to Canada for another season, with detections in mosquitoes in multiple regions of Ontario in the past week, including in Toronto.  Niagara Region Public Health confirmed Tuesday that West Nile virus had been detected in mosquitoes in Welland, Ont., while Toronto and York Region reported their first positive cases in the insects late last week.
No human cases of the virus have been reported in Canada as of Wednesday, but that isn't stopping health-care professionals from urging caution. "Nobody wants to get bit by mosquitoes, whether or not they're causing fever," said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist at Toronto General Hospital. West Nile virus first arrived in Canada in August 2002, according to Infection Prevention and Control Canada (IPAC). IPAC says the virus primarily infects birds and is then spread to humans by mosquitoes that have fed on the blood of those birds. Though no human cases have been reported in Canada so far this year, Bogoch said they are typically seen in mid- to late summer and into early fall. In those that the virus does infect, about 70 to 80 per cent may not even realize they have it, as they will have no symptoms. Read more about symptoms, and who is most at risk. | 
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