Canada on watch for deadly flu

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       ttp://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2007/11/19/4667616-sun.html

Canada on watch for deadly flu

Deadly strain seen in the United States not here yet, but Health and Wellness is on the lookout

By BROOKES MERRITT, SUN MEDIA

The Edmonton Sun     

A deadly strain of the cold virus that's killing people in the U.S. hasn't breached Alberta's borders yet, but health officials monitoring the disease are reminding Albertans to keep clean. 

"Getting the flu shot, hand washing and maintaining proper hygiene are the most important things you can do to keep from getting the cold," said Alberta Health and Wellness spokesman Shannon Haggarty. 

"We haven't had any reported cases of the U.S. strain here but we're monitoring its progress (south of the border) very closely." 

The killer bug is a mutated form of the adenovirus. 

According to recent U.S. news reports, it has caused the deaths of at least 10 Americans in the past 18 months, most of whom were adults. 

A report issued last week by the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention called containment of the virus "challenging" because it appears to be infecting otherwise healthy adults. 

More common strains of the virus have traditionally had the worst effect on infants and the elderly. 

The CDC says clusters of the superbug have most recently been reported in Washington State - which borders British Columbia - and in Oregon and Texas. 

The largest outbreak of the virus occurred in September at the Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX, where 106 soldiers were infected and one 19-year-old woman died. 

In most fatal cases, the virus has caused colds and severe respiratory illness. 

According the CDC it can be spread through contaminated surfaces and through the air, in coughs and sneezes. 

While no specific vaccine for adenovirus is yet available, infections usually resolve themselves over time without treatment. 

Local vaccinations against the regular influenza will be administered at Capital Health clinics throughout the region until Dec. 20. 

A list of flu clinics can be found at www.capitalhealth.ca/yourhealth/campaigns/fluseason. 

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Loribearme Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Adviser Group Joined: September 06 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2542	Post Options Post Reply Quote Loribearme Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Canada on watch for deadly flu Posted: November 19 2007 at 8:01pm
	ttp://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2007/11/19/4667616-sun.html Canada on watch for deadly flu Deadly strain seen in the United States not here yet, but Health and Wellness is on the lookout By BROOKES MERRITT, SUN MEDIA The Edmonton Sun A deadly strain of the cold virus that's killing people in the U.S. hasn't breached Alberta's borders yet, but health officials monitoring the disease are reminding Albertans to keep clean. "Getting the flu shot, hand washing and maintaining proper hygiene are the most important things you can do to keep from getting the cold," said Alberta Health and Wellness spokesman Shannon Haggarty. "We haven't had any reported cases of the U.S. strain here but we're monitoring its progress (south of the border) very closely." The killer bug is a mutated form of the adenovirus. According to recent U.S. news reports, it has caused the deaths of at least 10 Americans in the past 18 months, most of whom were adults. A report issued last week by the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention called containment of the virus "challenging" because it appears to be infecting otherwise healthy adults. More common strains of the virus have traditionally had the worst effect on infants and the elderly. The CDC says clusters of the superbug have most recently been reported in Washington State - which borders British Columbia - and in Oregon and Texas. The largest outbreak of the virus occurred in September at the Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX, where 106 soldiers were infected and one 19-year-old woman died. In most fatal cases, the virus has caused colds and severe respiratory illness. According the CDC it can be spread through contaminated surfaces and through the air, in coughs and sneezes. While no specific vaccine for adenovirus is yet available, infections usually resolve themselves over time without treatment. Local vaccinations against the regular influenza will be administered at Capital Health clinics throughout the region until Dec. 20. A list of flu clinics can be found at www.capitalhealth.ca/yourhealth/campaigns/fluseason.