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the HERALD Community Wednesday 1W2 Reyes Syndrome has mysteriously resurfaced By MACKENZIE Thomson News Service OTTAWA A mysterious often deadly disease that strikes children and teenagers and caus ed a public health scare in parts of the country a decade age has resurfaced After an apparent dormancy of several years five deaths at to Reye s Syndrome last year have been confirmed by the Reyes Syndrome Foundation of Canada The still rare disorder attacks children afflicted with viral diseases such as influenza and chicken pox and has been linked to common painkiller pro ducts such as Aspirin Anacin Bufferin and Alka Seltzer The products are still considered safe for adults It is fatal in up to per cent of all casesup to per cent in the lJ S and can cause permanent brain damage in survivors Its cause is still unknown The foundation director Allan Gee of London Ont offer no explanation for the new cases in southwestern Ontario Saskatchewan British Columbia and Newfoundland But he suspects it may be carelessness on the part of parents who are not reading the warning labels on the products and may be treating feverish children with the popular analgesics Gee explains the foundation has been attempting to track the disorder but is hampered by the fact that three provinces Manitoba New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island do not report suspected Reye cases Statistics are not maintained by the federal government which files reports of s in with data on other rare diseases Efforts to maintain statistics are further frustrated by the fact Reyes cases are not always detected in areas that do not have full medical services he added The disease is often incorrectly diagnosed or confused with others such as spinal meningitis which display some similar symptoms he explained Gee who lost his 14yearold daughter Stephanie to the disease in said the number of deaths attributed to Reyes in the try never exceeded in any one year But national attention was riveted on Nova Scotia in when the deaths of 35 children caused a public health scare Since then the disease has been linked to ASA the common term for the acetylsalicylic acid painkiller and a genetic deficien Gee said A link with spraying in farm and forest regions has been long suspected but never confirmed he added Research is continuing on the genetic link The incidence of Reyes drop ped off sharply in the mid 1980s after the federal government started a public education cam and drug manufacturers began panting warning labels on ASA products But reports of new cases coin with federal attempts to finally remove all children s ASA products from store shelves and standardize the warnings on labels containing the 100yearold drug Most drug stores in the country have removed the children pro ducts from the shelves and now stock them behind the counters But under ex isting regulations the items can be stocked grocery and corner stores in some provinces ex plained Betty Ann acting chief of drug regulatory affairs at Health and Welfare Canada ASA products for adults will still be available on the shelves but all will carry the standardized warn said the tighter regula tions will be introduced this year Manufacturers many of whom voluntarily began printing warn on their products in helped draft the new regulations The warnings which have not all been identical in most cases suggest consumers not ad minister the analgesic to children except on the advice of a doctor Physicians recommend the alter native acetaminophen products but ASA is required if the child suffers from arthritis or certain other afflictions The disorder was first iden as a specific illness in by Australian pathologist Prior to that it was incorrectly diagnosed as another disease or an unknown ailment The Reyes Syndrome tion was established in Canada to publicize and promote research into the disease It once had between 300 and members across the country but as reports of Reyes faded in the latter part of the decade ACTON SOCIAL SERVICES AND INFORMATION CENTRE SUPPLEMENTS TO THE OLD AGE SECURITY In January seniors who have been receiving the supplement to the Old Age Security will be sent a form entitled Application for Renewal of Guaranteed Income Supplement or Spouses Allowance Completing this applicationComplete and return this application by March 31 If It is not received in time for processing your cheque will be cut back to the basic Old Age Security amount of 07 which will be slightly more in April The amount will be readjusted when the application is received and any retroactive payments will be made but for seniors receiving supplements to have their cheque cut a hardship even though temporary Walt for necessary must have the stubs from the February cheques of the Canada Pension Plan or other pension and the bank statement of how much interest you have received All of this has to be declared so please wait until you have this information tell ing you exactly what you received in The same amounts must be used in your Income Tax Return so be sure to keep the stubs together in a safe place If your supplement form figures differ from those on your Income Tax Return it will be noticed by Income Security and will result in an adjustment of your cheque later on What to includeWhen filing out the application do not declare your Old Age Security supplements or Spouses Allowance received You need only declare your private income which includes Canada Pen Work Pensions Insurance and Bank Interest etc If you have or are having difficulties completing this application call In come Security toll free at 1S0O265948O from 519 area code or from area code These phone lines are often busy so vou should persevere when calling or call at a when the of fir first If you have further problems or have tried completing the and are having difficulties our staff here at Acton Social Services can give you some assistance You can drop into our office at Willow St North in Acton or call to days to membership declined It now has 150 members Watch on Reye s Syndrome What are the symptoms of Reyes Syndrome health and Welfare Canada and the Society advise parents to watch for persistence or resurgence of symptoms of the original viral personality changes in the child or teenager hyperactivity disorientation anxie ty frequent or persistent vomiting convulsions delirium possibly leading to a coma If you suspect your child may Board replies Directly refuting the often quoted Ministry of Education drop out figure of per cent an extensive Board of study has pegged the Board of Education dropout rate at less than five per cent The Halton Board of Education Retention Study tracked the pro gress of all students leaving grade 1988 until December Of the students withdrew from school The track ing was done using the Board computerized Student Ad ministration System Dean Fink Superintendent of Instructional Services highlights a number of reasons for the high retention rate He notes that School retention is affected by happening in our society and economy The recession and high unemployment have no doubt influenced student reten in Halton for the last few years He went on to stress that However since 1988 many regional programs have had an impact on successful programm ing for at risk students The em on General Level pro gramming the infusion of school based social workers and the focus on behavior intervention programs have all had positive results Director of Education Bob Williams adds that We have consistently argued that this mythical 30 per cent dropout figure we hear so often simply doesn t apply to our Board This retention study validates our belief and the results are a testa to the hard work of our staff students and community This study was presented to the trustees of the Halton Board of Education at their regular meeting on Jan Moke It A Success I pour J Weddings Luncheons Parties 8772S17 I WE ALL HAVE FUN TOGETHER can UN to in mining Tt nrt and tt ha JMnutw THAT BODY 8770771 have s call a doctor lm mediately or seek emergency medical treatment Never give a drug containing acetylsalicylic acid ASA to child especially if the child has the flu or chicken pox without consulting a doctor Reyes is rare but fatal in to 30 per cent of all cases Hunzingers heart of Georgetown who Is almost six tine close to his heart Brennan one of many children who made valentines cards during a craft session at Georgetown library Herald Photo THE CORPORATION OF THE Town of Hills 1 Hi Or O HAITON HILLS Georgetown Ontario ROAD RECONSTRUCTION Notice is hereby given to Section of the Municipal Act being Chapter of the Revised Statutes of Ontanp that the Council of the Town of Hills at its meeting to be held in the Civic Centre at Monday March 30 will consider the passing of by laws for the following projects 1 Todd Road Reconstruction Phase 2 Road to the CNR Spur Line 2 Confederation Street Reconstruction Wildwood Road to Karen Drive Side Road Culvert Extension and Approach Work Concession Lots 5 and 6 Plans detailing these and the proposed by laws are available for viewing during normal business hours at the Engineering Department office Any inquiries should be direc ted to Mr A Goddard C E T Engineering Department at extension The Council will hear in person or by their counsel any per son who claims that their lands will be prejudicially affected by the said by laws and who applies to be heard Persons wishing to be heard should notify the Clerk s Department no later than noon Thursday March 26 1992 R C Austin P Eng Town Engineer The Corporation of the Town of Halton Hills Hills Drive Box 128 Halton Hills Georgetown Ontario L7G 5G2