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http://origin.phac-aspc.gc.ca/fluwatch/ ... ex-eng.php

Summary of FluWatch Findings for the Week ending March 5, 2011

* In week 09, influenza activity continues mostly in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. The number of outbreaks reported decreased in week 09.
* The proportion of positive influenza detections overall continued to decline in week 09. Both adult and paediatric hospitalizations decreased, however the ILI consultation rate increased slightly compared to the previous week.
* Since the beginning of the season, 86% of the subtyped positive influenza A specimens have been influenza A/H3N2. In week 09, the proportion of specimens positive for pandemic H1N1 2009 decreased while the proportion of influenza B detections increased from 12% to 18%.

http://origin.phac-aspc.gc.ca/fluwatch/ ... ex-eng.php

Summary of FluWatch Findings for the Week ending March 12, 2011

* In week 10, overall influenza activity is on the decline in many parts of the country. All influenza indicators including the number of outbreaks, the proportion of positive influenza detections, adult and paediatric hospitalizations, and the ILI consultation rate have declined this week.
* Since the beginning of the season, 85% of the subtyped positive influenza A specimens have been influenza A/H3N2. Influenza B, circulating at low levels, has been slowly increasing since week 03 and now accounts for 28% of all influenza positive specimens. The percentage of positive RSV specimens has been decreasing over the last two weeks and appears to have peaked at week 07.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/H ... story.html

EDMONTON - The H1N1 flu virus is still circulating in Alberta, with three of seven deaths in the province directly related to that strain this flu season.

Younger, healthier people continue to fall sick with H1N1 compared to other strains. But although officials are still encouraging people to get vaccinated before the end of April, which marks the wind-down of flu season, flu outbreaks have been relatively mild this year compared to 2009-2010, when 71 people in Alberta with confirmed swine flu died and 1,278 people were hospitalized.

In comparison, between Aug. 29, 2010 and March 26, 2011, 214 people had lab-confirmed H1N1, including 70 in the Edmonton zone, 71 in northern Alberta and 16 in central Alberta. Another 46 tested positive in the Calgary region and the final 11 in the province’s south.

Of the seven laboratory-confirmed flu-related deaths this season, H1N1 played a major role in the deaths of three people. One person tested positive for the H3N2 strain — against which this year’s vaccine also protects — and the final three people had underlying health conditions, potentially worsened by flu, that led to their deaths.

“The actual number of deaths during influenza season is probably significantly higher than that,” said Dr. Gerry Predy, senior medical officer of health for Alberta Health Services. Many people may die from pneumonia or other chronic conditions, but never be tested for the flu. During an average flu season, an estimated 300 Albertans die directly or indirectly from the flu.

“Overall in terms of its impact, (this season has) been similar,” Predy said. “We do see pressure on emergency departments, pressure on family doctor offices.”

But instead of one strain, people were exposed to three strains, he said. And instead of ebbing right now, there has been a bit of an upswing with the late spring, he added.

People can still receive the vaccine at public health clinics until at least mid-April. So far, 525,000 have received their shots in Alberta Health Services’ clinics, with several 100,000 more going to their doctors or pharmacists to be vaccinated. That’s a little behind other years, not including last year when a huge demand prompted more than 1.2 million people to get protected. Last year’s surge may, in fact, be keeping people away this year, Predy said.

Before, “when we talked about pandemics, people always thought of worst-case scenario like 1918,” Predy said when the Spanish flu left 50,000 Canadians dead, 21 million dead worldwide. Many were young healthy adults.

“Last year, when we had the H1N1 pandemic, it really didn’t turn out to be as bad as initially feared so I think it’s reinforced people’s attitudes that maybe it’s not so serious,” he said.

http://origin.phac-aspc.gc.ca/fluwatch/ ... ex-eng.php

Summary of FluWatch Findings for the Week ending March 26, 2011

* In week 12, influenza B continues to increase steadily in most regions of the country except the Atlantic provinces. Of the 520 positive tests reported during week 12, 55.6% were influenza A and 44.4% were influenza B.
* Influenza activity has declined in most of western Canada but persists in parts of Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. In week 12, the ILI consultation rate remained similar to the previous 2 weeks, fewer influenza/ILI outbreaks were reported, and both adult and paediatric hospitalizations decreased.

Antigenic Characterization
Between September 1 and March 31, 2011, the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) has antigenically characterized 493 influenza viruses that were received from provincial laboratories: 213 A/H3N2 from BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB & NU, 95 pandemic H1N1 2009 from BC, AB, ON, QC, NB & NS and 185 B viruses from BC, AB, SK, ON, QC & NB. Of the 213 influenza A/H3N2 viruses characterized, 210 (98.6%) were antigenically related to A/Perth/16/2009, which is the influenza A/H3N2 component recommended for the 2010-11 influenza vaccine. Three viruses (1.4%) tested showed reduced titer with antiserum produced against A/Perth/16/2009. Of the 95 pandemic H1N1 2009 viruses characterized, 94 (98.9%) were antigenically related to the pandemic vaccine virus A/California/7/2009, which is the recommended H1N1 component for the 2010-11 influenza vaccine. One virus (1.1%) tested showed reduced titer with antiserum produced against A/California/7/2009. Of the 185 influenza B viruses characterized, 176 were antigenically related to B/Brisbane/60/08 (Victoria lineage), which is the recommended influenza B component for the 2010-11 influenza vaccine. Four of the 176 viruses tested showed reduced titer with antisera produced against B/Brisbane/60/08. Nine influenza B viruses were characterized as B/Wisconsin/01/2010-like, which belongs to the Yamagata lineage. B/Wisconsin/01/2010-like viruses are antigenically and genetically different from the previous Yamagata lineage vaccine strain B/Florida/04/2006.

http://www.journalpioneer.com/News/Loca ... dly-toll/1

Flu takes deadly toll

SUMMERSIDE - Prince Edward Island's Chief Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison confirmed Friday that an influenza outbreak at Summerset Manor has claimed the lives of three residents.

"All three residents were males with an average age of 83, all with underlying health issues," said Morrison.

Health P.E.I.'s Chief Nursing Officer Shelley Woods said it has been about two seeks since a significant number of Manor residents began to show influenza symptoms. At that time, precautions were taken and several residents were swabbed. The three residents who tested positive for influenza have since passed.

As of Friday, seven of the Manor's 82 residents are still on precautions. All residents have received medication as a preventative measure.

"They are currently restricting residents with symptoms to their rooms and gowns, gloves, masks and eye protection are being worn within two meters," said Woods. "Visitors have not been restricted, but there are signs up letting them know we're experiencing an influenza outbreak."

There are currently 97 lab-confirmed cases of influenza on P.E.I., with 47 patients being hospitalized. Morrison said more than 90 per cent of the confirmed cases are influenza A and about eight per cent are influenza B. The two influenzas share similar symptoms and side effects.

"Those lab-confirmed cases don't mean those are the only cases, but it does indicate that we have influenza circulating across P.E.I. It's a surveillance that we can do so that we know what is circulating," said Morrison.

In North America, most of the influenza activity indicators continued to decrease, except by some localized outbreaks in the East of Canada (Ontario and the Provinces of the Atlantic).

http://new.paho.org/hq/index.php?option ... temid=2469

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Praemonitus, Praemunitus..Forewarned is Forearmed.

Canada dominated by influenza A, Influenza A dominated by H3N2

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/fluwatch/11- ... ex-eng.php

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PARRY SOUND, Ont. — A woman was found dead on a Via Rail passenger train early Saturday morning.

The company says the Vancouver-to-Toronto train stopped near Parry Sound, Ont., because four passengers were showing flu-like symptoms.

Emergency crews boarded the train and confirmed that a woman who Via Rail described in a news release as elderly had died.

The news release says the other three passengers were taken to hospital for treatment.

Via says the train was about six hours late getting to Toronto.

The train had left Vancouver on Christmas Day night.

Via says a quarantine was placed on the two rooms the passengers were in, it’s not believed anyone else was in those compartments, which will be sterilized.

Health officials say it’s not believed that other passengers or the train’s crew were exposed to those taken off the train.

The local coroner was trying to determine the cause of death and the Ontario Provincial Police say the woman’s identity was being withheld until all family members were notified.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/12/30 ... -hospital/

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