Flu season has arrived in Niagara

Niagara has seen its first outbreak of influenza, as well as isolated cases of the virus.

And many more people are showing symptoms of respiratory infections throughout the region, said Kathy Bell, manager of infectious disease for Niagara’s public health department.

She said the number of confirmed influenza cases “are just starting to ramp up as we are in the outbreak season.”

“As of Wednesday, we had 23 cases so far,” Bell said, adding the number is updated at the end of each day.

Meanwhile, Bell said there are also “lots of other respiratory infections” circulating in Niagara communities, in addition to influenza.

She said all of the confirmed cases of influenza so far have been reported in St. Catharines and Welland, and strains of both influenza A and B have been identified.

Although Bell was not aware of any predictions about the severity of the virus this season, “we do know that in the southern hemisphere they had a pretty bad flu season,” she said.

The Public Health Agency of Canada warns every year that there could be an estimated 3,500 deaths and more than 12,000 hospital stays related to influenza.

It’s among the top 10 leading causes of death in Canada, Bell said.

The flu shot remains the best defence against the virus.

Bell is particularly concerned about vulnerable population groups, including people with weakened immune systems such as those with diabetes or cancer, as well as people who are elderly or children under five years old.

“That’s why we encourage the whole population to be immunized, because that way you’re preventing the spread to those vulnerable populations in the event that you contract the virus,” Bell said.

The effectiveness of the influenza vaccination being used this year has yet to be determined, but there is another option for people who still end up fighting the virus despite the flu shot.

Bell said anti-viral medications can be prescribed to treat influenza, decreasing the symptoms. But that medication needs to be taken “sooner rather than later — within 24 hours is recommended — in order to achieve greater effectiveness.”

She urged people to stay home if they are ill, “because we don’t want to pass the virus around to others,” to use hand sanitizer, and cover their face with their sleeve when they cough. ABenner@postmedia.com twitter.com/abenner1