Ontario's H1N1 count jumps by 131

NEWS RELEASE

ONTARIO MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND LONG-TERM CARE

************************* 131 new confirmed cases of H1N1 flu virus in Ontario

TORONTO - (May 29) - Dr. David Williams, Ontario's acting chief medical officer of health, says there are 131 new confirmed cases of H1N1 flu virus since Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases in Ontario to 626.

Almost all of the cases reported to date are considered mild.

One person with a chronic pre-existing medical condition died on May 23.

The autopsy results from the Office of the Chief Coroner have shown that the cause of death is pneumonia that appears to be of bacterial origin and there is evidence of significant heart disease also present.

The role of H1N1 virus in this case is unclear and may be difficult to ascertain.

Six people who have the H1N1 flu virus were in hospital as of May 28, a number of whom have underlying medical conditions.

The Ontario cases involve 315 males and 309 females (the gender of two cases is unknown) with an age range of (less than)1 to 80.

New confirmed cases in Ontario

Toronto - 76 Peel Region - 26 York Region - 15 Halton - 3 City of Ottawa - 3 Simcoe Muskoka District - 3 Hamilton - 1 Wellington Dufferin Guelph - 2 Waterloo Region - 1 Niagara Region - 1

Quick facts

Symptoms of the H1N1 flu virus (human swine flu) are similar to seasonal influenza (flu) including headache, chills and cough followed by fever, loss of appetite, muscle aches and fatigue, runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes and throat irritation.

Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea may occur in adults as well as in children. In more severe cases, or in people with chronic conditions, complications such as pneumonia may develop.

People returning from Mexico who have symptoms of respiratory illness should contact their health care provider or call Telehealth Ontario at1-866-797-0000.

For general information on the H1N1 flu virus (human swine flu), call the ServiceOntario INFOline at 1-800-476-9708 or visit the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care website.

Learn more

For more information about human swine flu, click here. To learn more about hand washing, go here. Read about public health initiatives in the province.

*************************