Flu cases up substantially over last year

Leeann Whitney says she’s trying to “get a handle” on deaths related to the influenza A outbreak in the area.

Whitney, the manager of the Infectious Disease team at the North Bay and District Health Unit, said it would be “fair to say” there have been some deaths related to influenza, although the illness might not necessarily be the cause of death.

“It’s difficult to say sometimes because influenza may not be listed by a physician as the cause of death, even if the person who died had had a positive influenza swab,” Whitney said, adding she didn’t have a specific number of deaths.

She did have the latest number of laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A across the area, and it’s almost 20 times higher than normal for this time of year.

High number
Whitney said at least 91 cases of the illness have been laboratory-confirmed so far.

"This is a high number,” Whitney said. “We usually have five this time of year, so it’s early in the flu season for us to be hit with this many.”

Five institutions now have influenza outbreaks too, Whitney
added.

The number of cases isn’t really reflective of flu activity, Whitney said, particularly in institutions.

“Once we know it’s in the institution and the symptoms have been categorized as influenza, then we don’t track the number of sick people.”

Flu season severe
Whitney said the flu season this year, which still has several months to go, is “severe” compared to a light season last year.

“But we wouldn’t classify this as an epidemic or pandemic,” Whitney said.

So far the health unit has given almost 10,600 flu shots, up 25 per cent from previous years.

Whitney said the unit will be watching for signs of flu within schools now.

“Next week will really tell us what’s happening in the schools, particularly if they start to report absenteeism of greater that 10 to 15 per cent,” Whitney said.

“It hasn’t happened yet, but we will be watching carefully.”

A flu shot clinic will be held today from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the health unit.