Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Internet searches preceded announcement of outbreak

Monday, May 4, 2009

According to the Calgary Herald, the listeriosis outbreak at Maple Leaf Foods might have been predicted in advance by noticing the number of Internet searches regarding the disease.

An article published in March in the Canadian Medical Association Journal says that the Internet is revolutionizing how intelligence about new and ongoing outbreaks of infectious diseased is gathered.

Researchers from the University of Ottawa and the Harvard Medical School found that searches for the term "listeriosis" spiked nearly a month before the public declaration of the outbreak and media reports about the disease.

An outbreak linked to contamination at a Maple Leaf processing plant in Toronto led to the largest food recall in Canadian history last summer. As many as 20 people died before officials announced the outbreak.

Unfortunately, the number of website "hits" isn't an indication of where the outbreak is taking place. BF
 

Current Issue

December 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Farm & Food Care Video Steps Inside a Grain Corn Farm

Friday, December 12, 2025

Farm & Food Care is once again bringing Canadian agriculture closer to consumer than ever with its latest virtual reality experience: a deep dive into grain corn production. This interactive tour takes viewers to the VanQuaethem family farm in Eden, Ontario, where precision technology... Read this article online

Sandra Wolfe elected president of OABA Board

Friday, December 12, 2025

The Ontario Agri Business Association has announced its leadership team for the 2025–26 term following its 26th Annual Meeting held in Mississauga in early December. The meeting brought together members from across Ontario’s crop input, grain, and feed sectors to review progress and plan... Read this article online

Animal Health Canada Shares 2030 Goals for Livestock

Thursday, December 11, 2025

Animal Health Canada (AHC) has outlined five strategic goals it plans to accomplish by 2030 to protect and advance the health and welfare of farmed animals across the country. Working under its One Health and One Welfare approach, AHC aims to unite federal and provincial governments... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top