EDMONTON — Alberta has its first two confirmed cases of swine influenza, one in Calgary, and the other in northern Alberta, the province’s chief medical officer of health Andre Corriveau announced Tuesday morning.
Both men had a mild form of human swine flu after recently travelling to Mexico and neither were hospitalized during their illness.
The man from northern Alberta has fully recovered and the Calgarian has nearly recovered.
"These cases show that our monitoring and surveillance system is working as it should," Corriveau said in a release. "It was only a matter of time until cases of human swine influenza would show up in Alberta.
"These cases are both mild, similar to recent cases identified in Nova Scotia and British Columbia, and across the United States."
Corriveau said the news was expected, since many people are travelling between Alberta and Mexico at this time of year.
The virus, believed to have originated in Mexico earlier this month, has since spread to a number of countries, including Canada and the United States.
As of Monday, there were just six cases in Canada, four in Nova Scotia and two in British Columbia. All of them have been mild.
Alberta is now the third province to see the strain show up, and its two cases bring the national total to eight.
The numbers could go even higher later Tuesday when Canadian public health officials hold a news conference. Chief Public Health Officer David Butler-Jones has warned that Canada will likely see more cases and will likely even see deaths.
Canadians have also now been warned to avoid “elective or non-essential” travel to Mexico and to postpone trips if possible.
The Alberta government announced Monday it has ramped up its surveillance efforts for the flu, and is now set to do more testing within the province.
Samples were being sent to Winnipeg’s National Microbiology Laboratory since it was the only facility that could make a confirmation of the type of flu virus. This meant results often took a few days to come back.
"All medical officers of health will continue to monitor for new cases of human swine flu," said Courriveau. "We recommend anyone with a fever or cough who has returned from a recent trip to Mexico to recover from their illness at home, and call Health Link Alberta before seeking medical attention."
Albertans are reminded that hand washing is the single most important way to avoid getting the flu, says a release from Alberta Health and Wellness. Those with flu-like symptoms can help prevent the spread of illness by washing their hands frequently and practicing proper cough and sneeze etiquette. People with the flu-like symptoms should stay at home and avoid public places until they have recovered.
Anyone with a fever or cough who has recently travelled to Mexico or the southern U.S. can call Health Link Alberta toll-free 1-866-408-LINK (5465); in Edmonton, call 780-408-LINK (5465); in Calgary, call 403-943-LINK (5465).
More information is available on-line at www.health.alberta.ca |
