Northern B.C. is having a normal flu season, despite the resurgence of the H1N1 virus which caused a pandemic in 2009 -and discovery of North America's first case of the deadly H5N1 bird flu in Edmonton.
Northern Interior Health Region medical health officer Dr. William Osei said since the beginning of the flu season in December, Northern Health has had 26 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza -including three in which patients were admitted to intensive care. A further five patients in intensive care had flu-like symptoms, he said.
"We have had no [influenza-related] deaths reported," Osei said. "What we are seeing now is a very normal trend of events."
Flu cases in the North tend to peak in late December or early January, and again a month later, Osei said.
In the North the majority of serious cases were reported in people over 50.
"Only one [patient] was younger than 40 years old," Osei said.
Provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall said across B.C. there has been more than 100 people admitted to intensive care with influenza symptoms and two confirmed deaths - one in the Okanagan area and another on Vancouver Island - since the start of the flu season. A third fatality may have been caused by the flu, but that was not confirmed.
Nationally, an average of 20,000 people per year are hospitalized because of the flu and 4,000 on average die as a direct result of the flu or from flu-related complications, he said.
Despite the connection to the 2009 pandemic outbreak, the H1N1 flu virus has symptoms similar to the typical, seasonal flu, he said.
B.C. has ordered a record number of flu vaccine doses this year -more than 1.4 million -and public interest has been strong.
Carolyn Bouchard, public health nursing manager for Northern Health, said there should be plenty of vaccine doses available for people in Northern B.C.
"We have the supply we have, and we are redistributing as needed," Bouchard said. We certainly have had a good response to our clinics."
The next clinics in Prince George are taking place today and Friday at the Northern Interior Health Unit at 1444 Edmonton St. The clinics run today from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Additional clinics are scheduled for later in the month and the vaccine is also available through some doctors' offices and pharmacies, Bouchard said.
The vaccine is free for people at higher risk -including children under five years old, seniors 65 years old and older, pregnant women, people with chronic illnesses and others. Those not on the list of higher-risk people are still able to get the shot, but may be charged a fee. A full list and more information is available online at www.northernhealth.ca.
Osei encouraged residents to take precautions against catching and spreading the influenza virus, including frequent hand washing, covering your mouth when you cough, staying home when sick and getting the flu vaccine.
"As far as I'm concerned, the flu shot is our best shot against this disease," Osei said.
The latest, most reputable research indicates the flu vaccine is safe and 60 per cent effective on average, Kendall said.
H5N1 fatality reported
Federal public health officials confirmed the first case of the deadly H5N1 bird flu in Edmonton on Wednesday. The unidentified patient returned to Canada on Dec. 27 after visiting Beijing, China.
The patient was hospitalized on Jan. 1 and died on Jan. 3.
Kendall said the patient spent about two-and-a-half hours in the Vancouver International Airport while waiting for a connector flight to Edmonton on Dec. 27. The patient flew on Air Canada flight 030 from Beijing to Vancouver, and Air Canada 244 from Vancouver to Edmonton.
"We have done an extensive risk assessment and we see minimal, minimal risk [of other infections," Kendall said.
The H5N1 virus is mostly transmitted from birds, such as domestic poultry, to humans, rather than from humans to humans, he said. Of the approximately 650 known cases of H5N1 in 16 countries, only a few were caused by close family contact.
The bird flu is fatal in approximately 60 per cent of cases, Kendall said. However, there is no know cases of H5N1 be transferred by casual contact, such as sitting next to someone on a plane or at an airport, he said.
In addition, the virus typically takes three to four days to begin showing symptoms and another four to five days before patients are typically hospitalized, he said. Health officials have been screening for any sign of the disease and, "absolutely no cases of H5N1 have been discovered in B.C.," Kendall said.
"We don't think there is a public risk."
-- with file from the Canadian Press
