October

Background

Background

The Canadian wine industry has become more sophisticated over the years and has seen improvements in product quality and competitiveness. Over the last decade, sales of domestic wines in Canada have increased by more than 50%.[1] British Columbia is a significant participant in this industry and has seen very rapid growth in wine production and the number of people employed. Wine industry workers in BC face specific health risks associated with their work.

Lessons learned from her mentor Dr Granger Avery 25 years ago continue to guide the authors practice today. It was a fairly sunny day in June 1981.

Despite the decreasing use of antibiotics within Canada, the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant organisms, particularly Streptococcus pneumoniae, is increasing and has become a significant threat to public health. Current evidence suggests that the use of antibiotics such as extended-spectrum penicillins, cephalosporins, and macrolides has contributed to the increasing development of resistant pneumococci. Although the data show a decline in overall prescribing of antibiotics within Canada, there are limited data on antibiotic prescribing in children within primary care.