Nasty flu bug ravaging city with no end in sight
Both hospital campuses declare outbreaks in worst year since ’09
Influenza season has officially peaked in Windsor and Essex County and it’s being called one of the worst in years.
“If I had to compare a season that was this bad, I would have to say during the pandemic that was H1N1 (bird flu) season in 2009,” said Erika Vitale, manager of infection prevention and control at Windsor Regional Hospital. “But, I would have to say this is the worst we’ve had in a long time.”
There have been 25 confirmed flu patients admitted to hospital at the Ouellette campus and four to the Met. But Vitale expects that to increase.
Last year, 20 people over the whole season were hospitalized with the flu virus. Public health labs only test patients who are admitted to hospital for flu, so those numbers don’t take into account all the people in the community who are fighting the flu at home. Flu season is expected to run until April.
“We are seeing a lot of patients admitted with respiratory symptoms that would be consistent with the flu, as well as a lot of people who are testing positive for flu,” Vitale said.
Windsor Regional Hospital declared an influenza B outbreak at its Ouellette campus last week. On Monday, the Met campus reported an outbreak after two people were confirmed with influenza B.
The latest Public Health Agency of Canada Flu Watch report, which covered the last two weeks of 2017, said influenza activity across Canada continues to increase and is hitting those aged 65 and older the hardest. The report says that 11,275 cases have been confirmed in Canada with more than 1,000 hospitalizations reported. At least 34 people have died.
Vitale said it’s unclear why the flu season has been so severe.
Public health agencies won’t be able to reach any conclusions about how effective the flu vaccine was this year until around February. There has been a broad range in symptoms from people presenting with cough and fever to others with general weakness.
“Not every patient that’s being confirmed with flu is looking like a truly affected case,” she said. “The other thing that’s interesting is that we’re seeing a lot of influenza B, where we typically would just be seeing influenza A, and B would come up around March and impacting just the elderly.” Influenza B is a less severe strain. Vitale said both vaccinated and unvaccinated patients have been confirmed with the flu. In 2015, a bad flu season was later blamed on a strain mismatch in the vaccine, something that may account for the increase this year. But the best way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated, wash your hands often and avoid people who are sick.
“It’s not too late to get the vaccine, although I know I’m not sounding too positive about the efficacy,” Vitale said. “But even if you do get it, it may not be 100 per cent effective, but it will reduce your chances of being admitted to hospital or the ICU or even potentially dying from the flu.”
The flu is not only affecting humans this season, the H3N2 canine influenza has been confirmed in two dogs in Essex County.
“It’s a virus,” said Dr. Alanna Holmes, president of the Essex County Veterinarian Association. “The strain that they’re infected with is a canine strain of the influenza virus. It’s different than the strain in humans.”
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit said two dogs imported from South Korea in late December were showing signs of a respiratory disease when a veterinarian examined them. This is the first known appearance of the canine flu in Canada. However, the virus is widespread in parts of Asia and various locations in the U.S.
Most dogs who develop influenza don’t get seriously ill, so dogs that appear to be healthy are still a potential source of infection. One of the best ways to prevent your family pet from getting influenza is to get a vaccine from your veterinarian. Cats can also become infected, but that appears to be rare.
“With infectious respiratory diseases, there is always the concern that they can be contagious,” Holmes said. “So if your dog is sick, don’t take it out in public. If you’re walking your dog and notice another dog coughing or sneezing, keep away from it.”
Dogs with symptoms of respiratory disease, including a cough, decreased appetite, nasal and eye discharge and fever, should be kept away from other dogs for at least two weeks. There’s no known human risk from H3N2 canine influenza.
It’s not too late to get the vaccine ... it may not be 100 per cent effective, but it will reduce your chances of being admitted to hospital.