Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Self-testing COVID-19 rapid antigen tests authorized by Health Canada for purchase and use by the general public contain very low quantities of ingredients that are potentially harmful in larger amounts.
Concern is highlighted in an alert on Facebook from the Australian Animal Poisons Helpline, regarding dogs ingesting test buffer solutions that contain sodium azide, a preservative that can be highly toxic, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Australian helpline said that the amount contained in individual tests is “very low” and “unlikely to pose a significant risk” in the majority of cases.
"The actual risk of poisoning in any individual case will depend on the amount of sodium azide ingested and the weight of the animal involved," the Facebook alert said.
"Very small animals, or those animals that ingest a number of vials of buffer solution could possibly be at risk of poisoning."
Other antigen tests contain ProClin 300, a different preservative that also comes with safety warnings.
There are 29 antigen testing devices authorized by Health Canada as of Jan 24, 2022, the majority of which are categorized for lab-based or point-of-care use. Eight of the 10 devices approved under self-testing are antigen tests. The federal agency defines self-testing devices as those that can be purchased and used by the general public.
Online documentation for the products contained warnings about the ingredients, but Canadian versions of the user instructions found for some of the tests did not list sodium azide or ProClin 300.
Sodium azide is a “rapidly acting, potentially deadly chemical” that exists as an odorless white solid, according to the CDC, which lists the substance under Chemical Emergencies. Exposure to small amounts could cause symptoms within minutes, including dizziness, headache, nausea and vomiting, rapid breathing and heart rate, the CDC says. It does not specify what constitutes a small amount. Larger amounts can cause additional symptoms such as convulsions, loss of consciousness, or even respiratory failure.
In Canada, sodium azide currently does not meet the criteria of a “toxic substance” under Section 64 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, because they do not enter the “environment in a quantity or concentration or under conditions that constitute or may constitute a danger in Canada to human life or health.”
Health Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada regularly reviews new information that could change the level of exposure to a substance and would take regulatory action as necessary, according to a spokesperson for the agency.
Andre Gagnon also told CTVNews.ca in an email that Health Canada reviews the ingredients and components in a test kit during its scientific evaluation process and that instructions for use of the diagnostic devices should list the quantity, proportion or concentration of each reactive ingredient.
“The toxicity of any substances depends on dose and exposure. At this point, there is no evidence that the use of the substances in these buffer liquids present a hazard, as long they are being used as instructed in these test kits,” Gagnon said, adding that users should only handle the components of the kits as instructed by the manufacturer or with guidance from public health authorities.
“Health Canada is currently reviewing the labelling of all rapid tests authorized to date to make sure that appropriate warnings are included in the instructions for use, and will take appropriate action as necessary.”
BinaxNOW and Panbio, the COVID-19 antigen self-tests made by Abbott, both contain sodium azide, according to documentation posted online by the company that contain warnings about the chemical. BD Veritor by Becton Dickinson and Co. also has warnings about sodium azide. BinaxNOW says it contains 0.0125 per cent of the chemical, while Panbio and BD Veritor says it has less than 0.1 per cent.
All have varying levels of warnings in user documents found online that say sodium azide is a harmful chemical that can be toxic if inhaled, swallowed, or exposed to skin. If the solution comes in contact with the skin or eye, instructions advise users to flush with “copious amounts” of water. If disposing in a sink, some direct users to flush with a large volume of water.
According to user documents posted on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s website, the Ellume home test, Quickvue by Quidel Corp., and SD Biosensor Inc.’s self test, which are also authorized by Health Canada, contain ProClin 300.
Warnings vary from mild skin and eye irritation to stronger advisories. Quickvue, which says it contains 0.03 per cent concentration of the ProClin 300, and Ellume note that the ingredient is harmful if swallowed or inhaled and causes severe skin burns and eye damage, while Ellume also notes that it is very toxic to aquatic life and carries long-lasting effects.
InteliSwab by Orasure Technologies says in a document posted on the FDA site that its solution contains Triton X-100 and Proclin 950, which are “potentially harmful chemicals”, but that laboratory studies indicate they are non-toxic at the levels contained in its test.
Canadian instructions for CovClear and SD Biosensor Inc (distributed by Roche Canada) does not list any potentially hazardous ingredients, but CovClear tells users to flush with copious amounts of water if the chase buffer solution comes in contact with the skin or eye. SD biosensor does not contain any warnings or precautions regarding the solution.
A spokesperson for SickKids Hospital in Toronto told CTVNews.ca that the Ontario Poison Centre (OPC) has received approximately 55 calls “related to misuse of or accidental access to rapid antigen tests since September 1, 2021” involving people, not animals. However, the spokesperson notes that the number of calls may not be representative of the total amount of exposures since the calls to the OPC are voluntary and it’s possible that “other substances were also involved in these calls.”
Ontario Poison Centre can be reached at 1-800-268-9017
For other provinces and regions click here
This story has been corrected to remove a reference to the CovClear test containing sodium azide. The company behind the test says: "As of the time of our authorization in Canada, CovClear and its components do not contain sodium azide."
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
One person has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a man who fell from a balcony following an altercation inside a Toronto apartment building.
Ukraine's troops have been forced to make a tactical retreat from three villages in the embattled east, the country's army chief said Sunday, warning of a worsening battlefield situation as Ukrainian forces wait for much-needed arms from a huge U.S. aid package to reach combat zones.
Zendaya and castmates Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor have been on a globetrotting press tour to get the word out about Italian director Luca Guadagnino's original film, which opened in 3,477 locations in the U.S. and Canada.
Dozens of people raised their arms in the fascist salute and shouted a fascist chant during ceremonies Sunday to honor Italian dictator Benito Mussolini on the 79th anniversary of his execution.
U.S. President Joe Biden is out to win votes by scoring some laughs at the expense of Donald Trump, unleashing mockery with the goal of getting under the former president's thin skin and reminding the country of his blunders.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
Laurentian University's board of governors approved a budget of just over $201.7 million for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
As if a 4-0 Edmonton Oilers lead in Game 1 of their playoff series with the Los Angeles Kings wasn't good enough, what was announced at Rogers Place during the next TV timeout nearly blew the roof off the downtown arena.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”