Nova Scotia sees big spike in flu cases, doctor refers to it as ‘epidemic’
Global News
A doctor in Nova Scotia is bringing attention to a spike in flu cases for Nova Scotia, a weekly figure she said is normally not seen for several more months.
The head of Infectious Diseases at the IWK Health Centre says Nova Scotia is experiencing an influenza epidemic as the province sees a significant spike in cases.
Dr. Joanne Langley said the flu season kicked off early this year in October. It usually begins in late December or early January.
“We are definitely in an epidemic if one looks at the tracking of the number of cases we would expect and when we would expect them,” Langley said. “This is an unusual season. We are seeing a very rapid rise in the number of cases and it’s at a fairly high level.”
Her comments come after numbers were released in a new report keeping a close watch on flu cases in the province.
According to the data in the province’s most recent Respiratory Watch Report, 87 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza were reported in the week ending Nov. 12. In previous years, Nova Scotia didn’t reach that weekly number until March.
Langley believes cases in the community are even higher. She said the flu can be serious for some people, especially children under the age of five.
“Over half of the cases in Nova Scotia in that surveillance system are people under 19 years of age,” she said. “We’re certainly seeing children being hospitalized with influenza.”
According to the federal government, the flu is among the 10 leading causes of death in Canada. It causes an estimated 12,200 hospital stays and 3,500 deaths in the country each year.
