Severe Flu Cases Surge in Manitoba - Aboriginal Community Hit Hard

[HenryN]

Re: Novel H1N1 flu outbreak hits isolated First Nations reserve

Here are a few comments on the release of data. Canada, like the US seems to have switched to a more limited notication system. In Ontario. updates were issued daily (and still involved 50-150 new cases each day). However, the last update, prior to June 3 was May 29. I believe all provionces updated data on June 3, even though more local sites reported cases earlier, as did the CDC.
Thus, waiting until June 3 to release an updated was not unexpected. Similarly, a press release after the first cases were officially confirmed was also not unexpected.
Beginning last week, several locations in northern Canada, as well as locations in the US that have previously had a minimal number of cases (North Dakota, West Virginia, Idaho), have reported cases. The absence of cases in more hard hit areas of the US is simply a reporting/testing issue. The virus is widespread and spreading rapidly, so now almost all influenza A in North America will be swine H1N1 (even though many media outlets still think patients positive for influenza A have seasonal flu).

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Novel H1N1 flu outbreak hits isolated First Nations reserve

The origins of the indigenous peoples becomes a little muddled when we consider how many died from various epidemics throughout history. "By 1615, 90 to 95% of the Mesoamerican Indians alive in 1519 had been killed by European diseases. " "Between 1635-1640, Nearly half of the Huron people of what is now Canada die from European diseases brought by fur traders and missionaries", "about 1890, the Inuvialuit people of the Western Arctic began dying from European diseases brought by whalers. Over a ten year period nine out of ten people die and villages are abandoned." These are just a few examples.....epidemics continued. See here for details.

Are there genetic predispositions within the American indigenous peoples that have persisted for hundreds of years? Hopefully, the above Mexican study can provide some answers.

.

[tropical]

Re: Novel H1N1 flu outbreak hits isolated First Nations reserve

#75: "Mestizos"


If it turns out that the infected and victims from Mexico weren't mainly "mestizos", this theory (which suggest that other gen groups will escape the pandemic) would be grounded.

[Diane Morin]

Re: Novel H1N1 flu outbreak hits isolated First Nations reserve

Swine flu surge hits reserve

Extra doctors, drugs sent to help H1N1 patients in St. Theresa Point

By: Jen Skerritt
4/06/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

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<!--endclickprintexclude-->A spike in the number of Manitobans sick with H1N1 influenza has left Winnipeg hospitals facing a rush for intensive-care beds while extra doctors and drugs are being rushed to an isolated First Nation that seems particularly hard hit.

Dr. Elise Weiss, Manitoba's acting chief medical officer, confirmed Wednesday 27 new cases of H1N1 influenza have been reported across the province -- including three in the northern health region that includes St. Theresa Point First Nation.

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<!-- End Related Items -->Another 19 new cases were reported in Winnipeg, including at least one person hospitalized for severe flu symptoms.
To date, a total of 38 cases of H1N1, also known as swine flu, have been reported in Manitoba.

St. Theresa Point Chief David McDougall said 20 residents have recently been flown to Winnipeg hospitals suffering with flu symptoms, including 12 people who were medevaced in the last week.

Ten children have been hospitalized, along with two pregnant women in critical condition at St. Boniface General Hospital. One woman lost her baby as a result of the illness.

It's still unknown whether everyone who has fallen ill with a respiratory virus in the remote fly-in community is infected with swine flu, and health officials say there are still many tests that must be completed at Manitoba laboratories.

Meanwhile, McDougall said residents continue to wear masks and avoid public gatherings to prevent the spread of the disease. The province has sent three additional physicians and antiviral drugs from their pandemic stockpile to St. Theresa Point, located about 500 kilometres north of Winnipeg. At least six federal health officials arrived in the community on Wednesday to address the situation, which McDougall said included a presentation about influenza on the reserve's local TV station.
"We are taking these precautions," McDougall said. "We're doing the best we can."

The surge in new cases has put a strain on Winnipeg emergency rooms and intensive-care units, which have seen a big influx of patients reporting respiratory problems in the last week.

Winnipeg Regional Health Authority chief nursing officer Jan Currie said visits to city emergency rooms jumped to 1,000 visits a day this week -- up from the usual 800. She said hundreds of Winnipeggers are reporting flu-like symptoms at a time of year when influenza has usually fizzled out.

Staff have been asked to work overtime to handle the extra cases and every hospital is trying to move patients to personal-care homes to free up beds. Currie said the WRHA has purchased more ventilators and plans to put suspected H1N1 patients in emergency-room beds if they run out of intensive-care beds.

"Some of the staff are working overtime to staff the beds," Currie said. "We're very full and we want to be able to predict if we need more (beds) to manage it."

While public health officials have been bracing for additional cases since swine flu incited a worldwide pandemic scare in April, the latest cases have some communities worried they aren't ready for an outbreak.

Red Sucker Lake Chief Larry Knott is watching the outbreak of respiratory illness in St. Theresa Point closely, and said he worries his community won't be able to heed much of the preventative advice from public health practitioners. Handwashing is key to preventing the spread of influenza, but Knott said many residents don't have running water and must get fresh water in a pail from the lake.

First Nations leaders have warned crowded homes and impoverished conditions leave reserves inadequately equipped to deal with a widespread disease outbreak.

Red Sucker Lake is about 100 kilometres north of St. Theresa Point.
"If it hits us, I'm pretty sure it'll hit us pretty hard," Knott said.

<!--1 $item-->jen.skerritt@freepress.mb.ca

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/swine-flu-surge-hits-reserve-46897332.html

[cartski]

Re: Novel H1N1 flu outbreak hits isolated First Nations reserve

I've just read the posts on this thread. Some comments:

- please be very careful with distances and scale.

- Burntwood Health Authority is simply HUGE and would likely encompass a couple of US states in area.

- there is a vast distance between St. Theresa Point and Nunavut. Think in terms of parallels of latitude, not miles or hours driving.

- do not assume a north-south transportation route when discussing Nunavut and NWT. Often these people travel soutwest to Edmonton or souteast to northern Quebec. They do not often travel directly south to Churchill or Winnipeg.

- Look at St. Theresa Point in relation to the fur-trade, particularly the Northwest Company and Hudson's Bay Co. The highways at that time were the river systems, including Manigotogan (sp?) and the Winnipeg River, and the Chruchill river, etc. which connect to Lake Winnipeg. South connections were to Lake of the Woods in the southwest of Ontario and northeast to Hudson's Bay or James Bay.

- The aboriginal peoples of that area were distinct from the Inuit in the far north, at least as I recall from our human geography class. Generalizations about the genetic similarities would be suspect, IMO, unless supported by excellent research. The Alaska-Russia connection may not be supported for the St. Theresa Point people. Much better analysis is needed to replace the impressions most southern Canadians received in school.

- Living conditions are simply attrocious. A classroom would be comfortable social distancing as compared to the average household. This is an extremely controversial matter in Canadian-Aboriginal politics.

- Personal privacy for health information is governed by the Personal Health Information Act http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/ccsm/p033-5e.php However, this act speaks to indentifiable indviduals, where identifiable means by identifier or by circumstances or situation.

- While an argument exists under this act not to disclose info about the hospital patients, because the facts of the case can lead to the identity of an individual especially in a small community setting, it may not apply to more general, situational or community-wide information.

- So, arguably, the official reluctance to provide information is more about risk control, rather than personal health info. I would doubt if Sandman's advice has been studied to any great degree.

- The rush on hospitals for mild flu cases in Winnipeg may be accurate. Many friends and co-workers have been ill in the last month, coughing, hacking etc, no vomiting though, for about 3 days each with a longer, milder recovery period. However, the same thing happens each spring when the buds and leaves come out, or when they smog for mosquitos or burn stuble from the fields. Generally, whenever the season changes, which can be a dramatic shift in conditions as compared to mid to southern US states, people get sick in Winnipeg.

J.

[alert]

Re: Novel H1N1 flu outbreak hits isolated First Nations reserve

The Manitoba update mentioned TWO First Nations communities - here is the second.

http://crazybitchesrus.blogspot.com/2009/06/another-update-h1n1.html

Thursday, June 4, 2009
Another update H1N1
At the press conference yesterday Manitoba confirmed 27 new cases of H1N1.
Few details were provided regarding the areas of the province where the new cases were reported, other than that two of the three new cases are from two First Nations communities in the Burntwood health region.

I have been told by folks at Island Lake First Nation that they are the second First Nation commuity mentioned.

This tidbit from the Winnipeg Free Press regarding a worried neighbouring community where there's been no outbreak yet.
While public health officials have been bracing for additional cases since swine flu incited a worldwide pandemic scare in April, the latest cases have some communities worried they aren't ready for an outbreak.

Red Sucker Lake Chief Larry Knott is watching the outbreak of respiratory illness in St. Theresa Point closely, and said he worries his community won't be able to heed much of the preventative advice from public health practitioners. Handwashing is key to preventing the spread of influenza, but Knott said many residents don't have running water and must get fresh water in a pail from the lake. First Nations leaders have warned crowded homes and impoverished conditions leave reserves inadequately equipped to deal with a widespread disease outbreak. Red Sucker Lake is about 100 kilometres north of St. Theresa Point. "If it hits us, I'm pretty sure it'll hit us pretty hard," Knott said.

[alert]

Re: Novel H1N1 flu outbreak hits isolated First Nations reserve

Swine flu surge hits reserve

Winnipeg Regional Health Authority chief nursing officer Jan Currie said visits to city emergency rooms jumped to 1,000 visits a day this week -- up from the usual 800. She said hundreds of Winnipeggers are reporting flu-like symptoms at a time of year when influenza has usually fizzled out.

[
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/bre...-46897332.html

Now we know how the virus got to the remote First Nations communitites - it was widespread in Winnipeg for some time. Not really a surprise though, it is widespread in most of North America.

[HenryN]

Re: Novel H1N1 flu outbreak hits isolated First Nations reserve

The Manitoba update mentioned TWO First Nations communities - here is the second.

http://crazybitchesrus.blogspot.com/2009/06/another-update-h1n1.html

Thursday, June 4, 2009
Another update H1N1
At the press conference yesterday Manitoba confirmed 27 new cases of H1N1.
Few details were provided regarding the areas of the province where the new cases were reported, other than that two of the three new cases are from two First Nations communities in the Burntwood health region.

I have been told by folks at Island Lake First Nation that they are the second First Nation commuity mentioned.

This tidbit from the Winnipeg Free Press regarding a worried neighbouring community where there's been no outbreak yet.
While public health officials have been bracing for additional cases since swine flu incited a worldwide pandemic scare in April, the latest cases have some communities worried they aren't ready for an outbreak.

Red Sucker Lake Chief Larry Knott is watching the outbreak of respiratory illness in St. Theresa Point closely, and said he worries his community won't be able to heed much of the preventative advice from public health practitioners. Handwashing is key to preventing the spread of influenza, but Knott said many residents don't have running water and must get fresh water in a pail from the lake. First Nations leaders have warned crowded homes and impoverished conditions leave reserves inadequately equipped to deal with a widespread disease outbreak. Red Sucker Lake is about 100 kilometres north of St. Theresa Point. "If it hits us, I'm pretty sure it'll hit us pretty hard," Knott said.

Updated map

<a rel="nofollow" href="http://flutracker.rhiza.com">Maps</a>

[HenryN]

Re: Novel H1N1 flu outbreak hits isolated First Nations reserve

St. Theresa chief to give update on H1N1 outbreak

Staff Writer
4/06/2009 12:47 PM | Comments: 0

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<!--endclickprintexclude-->WINNIPEG - The chief of St. Theresa Point is holding a press conference this afternoon to discuss the number of confirmed cases of H1N1 flu in the northern community.
The meeting with Chief David McDougall is slated for 2 p.m. at the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs office on St. Mary Avenue.
McDougall said Wednesday that 20 residents of his community have been flown to Winnipeg suffering flu symptoms, including nearly a dozen children. Two women are in critical condition.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/St-Theresa-chief-to-give-update-on-H1N1-outbreak-46937062.html

[cartski]

Re: Novel H1N1 flu outbreak hits isolated First Nations reserve

Now we know how the virus got to the remote First Nations communitites - it was widespread in Winnipeg for some time. Not really a surprise though, it is widespread in most of North America.

Hmm...not sure about that. It only takes one person, granted. But info on the air travel to an from that area is needed, and the type of aircraft - Cesna, Otter - not many people.

It's still quite cool here, and downright cold in the last month up north. So the fly-in fishing outfits are likely not in full swing.

Look for conferences or regional school or hockey tournaments in the last month. That's just as likely, IMO, as a lone Winnipegger making the trip, (except for healthcare workers perhaps.)

J.

[alert]

Re: Novel H1N1 flu outbreak hits isolated First Nations reserve

Hmm...not sure about that. It only takes one person, granted. But info on the air travel to an from that area is needed, and the type of aircraft - Cesna, Otter - not many people.

It's still quite cool here, and downright cold in the last month up north. So the fly-in fishing outfits are likely not in full swing.

Look for conferences or regional school or hockey tournaments in the last month. That's just as likely, IMO, as a lone Winnipegger making the trip, (except for healthcare workers perhaps.)

J.

My guess is exactly the HCW. We know that at least 27 people from that community were evacuated to Winnipeg for reasons OTHER than respiratory illness. I think one of them must have had contact with either an ill HCW, or an H1N1 patient within the Winnipeg hospital. Either way, this patient returned home and infected everyone else.

[Sally Furniss]

Re: Novel H1N1 flu outbreak hits isolated First Nations reserve

Red Sucker Lake Chief Larry Knott is watching the outbreak of respiratory illness in St. Theresa Point closely, and said he worries his community won't be able to heed much of the preventative advice from public health practitioners.

Handwashing is key to preventing the spread of influenza, but Knott said many residents don't have running water and must get fresh water in a pail from the lake.

First Nations leaders have warned crowded homes and impoverished conditions leave reserves inadequately equipped to deal with a widespread disease outbreak.

[alert]

Re: Novel H1N1 flu outbreak hits isolated First Nations reserve

The official confirmation. Note the new information, including the red line that contracts an earlier post. Note also that the two confirmed cases are NOT the pregnant women.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2009/06/04/mb-swine-flu-first-nations.html

Remote Manitoba First Nation confirms 2 cases of swine flu
Last Updated: Thursday, June 4, 2009 | 2:36 PM CT Comments0Recommend0.
CBC News
Swine flu has been confirmed in two residents of the remote Manitoba community of St. Theresa Point First Nation.

Two people have tested positive for the H1N1 influenza A virus that has been spreading in North America and elsewhere since it first appeared in Mexico in April, Whelan Mason, deputy chief of St. Theresa Point First Nation, and other community health officials confirmed Thursday. The two people and 19 others with flu-like symptoms from the community of 3,200 people are currently hospitalized in Winnipeg.

In all, 200 people from the reserve, located about 500 kilometres from Winnipeg, have reported being ill in the past week. The majority of them are being treated in the community.

Consequently, four additional doctors and several more nurses have been sent there by the province. Mostly everyone in the community was wearing protective masks on Thursday ? including people working at the band office, in administration buildings and at the local store.

The school has been closed for several days, and public gatherings are forbidden.

The band council has been instructing residents on how to avoid spreading the virus, using local radio and television to get the message out.

Manitoba Health authorities announced Wednesday 27 new cases of the H1N1 virus have been identified in the province, including two on northern First Nations communities, but the health officials did not reveal which First Nations were affected.

Mason said he suspects there will be more cases of the virus in his community.

Of the 21 patients from the community in Winnipeg hospitals, two are in critical condition. They are women in their 20s, including one who was pregnant but has since miscarried.

Results of the H1N1 virus testing for the two women have not come back yet, according to Mason.

Manitoba aboriginal leaders are holding an emergency news conference Thursday on the flu situation on the St. Theresa First Nation.

[HenryN]

Re: Novel H1N1 flu outbreak hits isolated First Nations reserve

Actually, the testing itself really doesn't mean much. H1N1 has already been confirmed in the community, and all who are influenza A positive are almost certainly H1N1 infected (and if they test negative at this point, the negative will almost certainly be false).

The issue really is how sick the hospitalized patients are, as well as those who don't feel well.

[HenryN]

Re: Novel H1N1 flu outbreak hits isolated First Nations reserve

Paramedics may have been exposed to H1N1 flu

'I think we need to look at our whole system and re-evaluate how these calls come in.' - Tim Scharer, Winnipeg Paramedics Local 911.
Winnipeg (4 June 2009) -Two members from the Winnipeg Paramedics Local 911 may have been exposed to the H1N1 virus, while transporting patients to the Health Sciences Centre.
The patients were flown from St. Theresa Point First Nation to Winnipeg with a nurse, where they were picked up by a Winnipeg ambulance.
The paramedics are members of the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union (MGEU/NUPGE).
Neither of the two paramedics has exhibited symptoms of the flu but all precautions have been taken to eliminate the risk of spreading the virus. Both were given a nasal swab and a deep cleaning of their ambulance was performed. They are now off duty and are waiting to hear if they have the virus.
The one frustrating part for everyone involved is why the paramedics were not informed of possible H1N1 exposure beforehand. Instead, they learned of the risk from Health Sciences Centre (HSC) staff once they had arrived.
All Winnipeg paramedics have been given full gowns, gloves and N95 masks to use when responding to these suspected cases. But in this particular instance, the chain of communication to warn them of potential exposure broke down at some point.
Don't point fingers
Tim Scharer, vice-president of Local 911, says the focus should not be on pointing fingers to find who?s to blame, but instead should be placed on improving the system to ensure members aren?t placed at risk again.
For a normal Winnipeg 911 call, the intake call goes through a number of questions by staff to diagnose the problem and screen for potential risks. Then it?s transferred to the dispatcher who can warn paramedics if any precautions are needed.
In this case, a nursing station and a private airline (which transported the patient) were involved, adding a number of links to the chain of communication and increasing the potential for error. This is something that Scharer would like to see changed.
?I think we need to look at our whole system and re-evaluate how these calls come in and how that information is relayed,? he says. ?Maybe one large intake centre for the entire province would help, perhaps there?s another solution. One way or another it?s important for us to improve the system.?
Last month, 41 residents of St. Theresa Point were transported to Winnipeg for medical care. At least 14 of those patients reported a respiratory illness. To date, there have been 38 confirmed cases of H1N1 in Manitoba.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE

http://www.nupge.ca/node/2344