Manitoba: Cases: 295

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2009/05/27/mb-swine-flu-cases-manitoba.html


New swine flu cases in Manitoba push total to 11
Last Updated: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 | 4:17 PM CT
CBC News

The number of confirmed swine flu cases in Manitoba has reached 11.

Manitoba health authorities confirmed Wednesday that five new cases of the H1N1 influenza A virus have been reported.

A man between the age of 30 and 39 from the Winnipeg health region has been admitted to hospital, according to health officials. He works in the area of the Burntwood health region in the province's northern region.

A woman between the ages of 20 and 29 is also in hospital with swine flue. She also lives in the Winnipeg health region, say officials.

The three other cases involve people who did not require hospitalization. Two are residents of Winnipeg ? a female between 20 and 29 years of age, and another female between 30 and 39 years of age.

The third is a resident of the South Eastman Manitoba health region, an area about 60 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg.

No other details were provided by Manitoba health officials.

The provincial government is encouraging the public to maintain the strength of their immune system by making healthy food choices, being physically active and getting enough sleep.

Other tips to prevent the spread of any germs include:

* Covering a cough or sneeze using a tissue or the inside of the elbow.
* Washing hands often with soap and water, especially after a cough or sneeze.
* Avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth.

Those with flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, aches and fatigue, are most contagious for approximately one week. During that time, people are encouraged to stay home from school or work and limit contact with others to reduce the chance of spreading the virus...

 

[the doctor]

Re: Manitoba: Cases

Re: Manitoba: Cases

Thanks Shiloh, obviously the case count in Canada is not nil.

GW

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Manitoba: Cases

Re: Manitoba: Cases

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


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

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.

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.

jen.skerritt@freepress.mb.ca

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Manitoba: Cases: 56

Re: Manitoba: Cases: 56

Source: http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/manitoba/2009/06/10/9755256.html

MB. Health confirms 16 new H1N1 cases

By SUN MEDIA

Last Updated: 10th June 2009, 3:09pm

Another 16 H1N1, or swine flu, cases have now been confirmed in Manitoba, bringing the provincial total to 56.

Manitoba Health says the virus has spread throughout the province and more cases are expected.

The province says the majority of infected people experience only mild illness, even as the number being treated in intensive care units rises.

The health agency urges Manitobans who have respiratory illnesses to visit their doctors.

There have now been 34 H1N1 flu cases reported in Winnipeg alone.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Manitoba: Cases: 152

Re: Manitoba: Cases: 152

Source: http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/manitoba/2009/06/15/9806006.html

Number of H1N1 cases in MB. jumps to 152

By SUN MEDIA

Last Updated: 15th June 2009, 3:32pm


Manitoba Health has reported 33 new confirmed cases of H1N1 flu today, bringing the province's total to 152.

The province says 30 people are now being treated in intensive-care units for respiratory illnesses but not all of these cases are linked to H1N1.

The agency is also trying to shift its resources to add nurses and doctors to First Nations communities where outbreaks have occurred.

So far, at least two nurse practitioners have headed north.

Manitoba Health warns that H1N1 is likely now present in every Manitoba community.

 

[Quiplash]

Re: Manitoba: Cases: 152

Re: Manitoba: Cases: 152

H1N1 outbreak reaches plateau?

Manitoba has 152 confirmed cases

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/h1n1-outbreak-reaches-plateau-48144602.html

By: Arielle Godbout
Winnipeg Free Press

16/06/2009 1:00 AM




Confirmed H1N1 influenza cases continue to rise in Manitoba but the province's top public health official said the number of patients on respirators seems to be stabilizing.

As of Monday, there were 152 confirmed cases of the virus in the province and 30 people in intensive-care units who had suspected, probable or confirmed cases of H1N1.


"We are still seeing a few new admissions a day... in the range of one to three," chief provincial public health officer Dr. Joel Kettner said.


"However, the discharge rate -- in other words, successful treatment (and removal from) the ventilators -- is approximately equal to that number, so the total numbers that we're having in ICU is remaining about constant."


Kettner stressed the province is still tracking the spread of the virus but there is some evidence the flu may have reached its peak.


"It looks as though we may be plateauing a little bit but I don't want to make any predictions yet," he said.


Kettner also emphasized that only a small proportion of those infected with H1N1 will show severe symptoms or develop a related case of pneumonia and require hospitalization.


"Just thinking you have H1N1 is not an 911 emergency," he stressed. "If you feel as if you have a typical milder type of influenza-like illness, use your usual common sense and judgment. But don't hesitate to contact your health provider..."


He said people should watch for shortness of breath and persistent high fever: "The key is feeling short of breath or out of breath. That is not typical of influenza and people who have those symptoms should not hesitate to get prompt medical care."


Jan Currie, vice-president and chief nursing officer for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, said in the last two weeks there has been a small spike in the number of people visiting emergency departments, though this is to be expected during a flu outbreak.


While she stressed the public is not misusing the service, she said not everyone with flu symptoms who goes to the hospital needs emergency care.


"We do see people who come to emergency because they have quite a mild flu and are worried and they feel they should get a test," Currie said. "The truth of the matter is we don't test people unless they're severely ill."


Anyone who shows up with mild symptoms will be seen, but they will likely have to wait longer, she said.


To deal with the increased number of patients needing ventilators at St. Boniface Hospital, elective surgeries continue to be relocated to Victoria Hospital, Currie said.


This allows nurses who would normally work in the surgery recovery room -- and who have similar training as intensive care nurses -- to help deal with the influx of patients on ventilators, she said.


Currie said that nine more calls also came in over the weekend from health professionals offering to travel north, after Health Minister Theresa Oswald appealed last week for more help in First Nations hit by the outbreak.

 

[hornblower]

Re: Manitoba: Cases: 152

Re: Manitoba: Cases: 152

http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/canada/2009/06/16/9810216-sun.html

Swine flu puts pressure on Manitoba health system

By JASON HALSTEAD, SUN MEDIA

Last Updated: 16th June 2009, 1:48am


WINNIPEG -- As 33 new confirmed cases of the H1N1 influenza virus in Manitoba were announced yesterday, officials continued to work to manage stresses on the health system.

Last Wednesday the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority started moving elective surgeries from St. Boniface General Hospital to the Victoria General Hospital to allow extra staff for the intensive- care units treating patients with severe influenza.

"It's so we can free up staff in the recovery room area if the intensive-care nurses are not enough," said Jan Currie, chief nursing officer for the WRHA. "Staff at Victoria, because they have smaller numbers of influenza cases, aren't in that situation."

The new cases bring the total in the province to 152.

Manitoba's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Joel Kettner, said one to three new cases per day of serious influenza-like illness are requiring admission to hospital intensive-care units. He said suspected serious flu-like illness should be treated quickly.

"The key is feeling short of breath or out of breath," he said. "That is not typical with influenza, and people who have those symptoms should not hesitate to get prompt medical care. We're talking about people who become very ill very quickly, within the first 24 or 48 hours."

There are now 68 confirmed cases of H1N1 in Winnipeg, 57 in the Burntwood/Churchill RHA area, 12 in Northern Manitoba, seven in Brandon, three each in the Interlake and North Eastman, and one each in Parkland and South Eastman.

"We can't say where we're at for sure in this epidemic curve," said Kettner. "It looks as though we may be plateauing a little bit but I don't want to make any predictions yet."

JASON.HALSTEAD@SUNMEDIA.CA

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Manitoba: Cases: 295

Source: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/Province-confirms-35-new-H1N1-cases-48632217.html


Province confirms 35 new H1N1 cases

By: Larry Kusch

19/06/2009 4:39 PM |

The province today reported 35 new confirmed cases of H1N1 flu, bringing the Manitoba total to 295.

It also said that it has provided hand sanitizer for four northern communities. The product has been distributed by the federal government. Hand washing is the most important practice to prevent the spread of infection, the province said in a news release.

The provincial government also said today it is working with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, the Manitoba Keewatinowi (northern chiefs organization) and the federal government to provide training sessions for First Nations emergency managers to support ongoing preparedness and responses at the community level.