As of Aug. 27, there were 29 confirmed cases of listeriosis in Canada, caused by the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. Fifteen deaths have been associated with the outbreak.

Dr. Allison McGeer

How do you ensure you receive a proper diagnosis if you've come in contact with potentially tainted meat? Who should get tested and when?

Dr. Allison McGeer is one of Canada's leading infectious disease specialists and the director of infection control at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.

She took your questions on listeriosis.

Read her responses below.

As everyone prepares for summer's last hurrah, parents are scrambling to get the kids ready for the classroom.

Whether it's preparing the little ones for their very first day of kindergarten, getting the latest gadgets for high schoolers, or getting graduates university-ready, September is as nerve-wracking for parents as it is for students.

Jen Maier

On Friday August 29 as Jen Maier, founder of www.urbanmoms.ca, Canada's largest online community for moms, took your questions on back-to-school tips.

Read her responses after the jump.

A woman who says her pet ferret helps her stave off panic attacks has won an interim agreement with Ottawa's public transit officials that allows her to take the animal on city buses. France Woodard's fight has sparked discussions on a public transit protocol dealing with service animals.

Jessica O'Neill, an animal behaviour consultant in Perth, Ont., offers tips to pet and service animal owners on her website and will answer questions from our readers. She did the assessment on Woodard's ferret in Ottawa.

Read her responses after the jump.

"CBCNews.ca apologizes for the delay in responding to your questions. Answers were posted as soon as they were provided."

Canada has sent 332 athletes to the Olympic Games in Beijing with the goal of finishing in the top 16 teams. That kind of success requires intense training, dedication and funding.

How does Canada fund its athletes? How are they paid? How much money do they live on? Do they have to hold other jobs?

Officials from the Canadian Olympic Committee answered your questions on the funding of athletes.

What should you do if you see a bear? Why are they coming into residential areas? How can we become more "bear aware?"

Maggie Paquet

Maggie Paquet is a B.C. biologist specialising in environmental and wildlife issues. She is currently writing a bear-people conflict management plan for the District of North Vancouver. She asked that we include the following preface to her answers:

"First, I am not an expert in the specialised field of bear safety. I have some expertise in bear biology and in public education about how to be 'bear aware.' The basic rules when you do see a bear are:

• Stay calm, stand still and assess the situation.


• Speak in a calm but firm voice so the bear can identify you as a human.


• If you have a small child or dog with you, pick it up.


• Back away slowly and do not make eye contact with the bear.


• If you have pepper spray with you and know how to use it, get it ready.


• NEVER run; this could trigger pursuit.


• Once out of sight of the bear, get out of the area quickly.

If you want to learn more about bears and their behaviours, and on how to be safe in bear country, I recommend getting a copy of the video, 'Safety in Bear Country;' also available in public libraries. And I highly recommend buying (or checking out of your local library) a copy of the book: Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance, by Stephen Herrero, 1985, ISBN: 0-941130-82-7. That's the volume I have; but it was updated in 2002. Dr. Herrero is recognised all around the world as an expert in this field. This book is fascinating reading. In his introduction, he says this:

'...I love bears and the wildlands where they live. Bears have fascinated me, scared me 'til my heart pounded, and inspired me... They have helped me to learn about the diversity of life on earth and how nature works. Few biologists can study bears without seeing in them traits that are distinctly human. Such traits make people feel a strong attachment toward bears. Needless killing of bears elicits compassion and anger in me. We know how to do things better, how to make bear country safer for both bears and people. This book tells some ways to do this.'"