Hundreds of new swine flu cases in Ontario reported

NEWS RELEASE

MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND LONG-TERM CARE

************************* 484 new confirmed cases Of H1N1 flu virus in Ontario

TORONTO, June 10 - Dr. David Williams, Ontario's acting chief medical officer of health, says there are 484 new confirmed cases of H1N1 flu virus since Friday, bringing the total number of cases in Ontario to 1,562.

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

The vast majority of these cases have recovered.

To date, two people, who had the H1N1 virus and chronic medical conditions, have died.

Ten people who have the H1N1 flu virus were in hospital as of June 9, a number of whom have underlying medical conditions.

The Ontario cases involve 808 males and 750 females (the gender of four cases is unknown) with an age range of (less than)1 to 97.

The average age of the cases is 21.

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care recently provided updated guidance to health care providers on who should be tested for the H1N1 virus.

Providers have been asked to only have tests performed on patients requiring hospitalization and on patients at high risk of complications from the flu.

A review of Ontario laboratory tests shows the majority of people who get tested do not have either seasonal or H1N1 flu.

There is little use forroutine testing since it does not alter the treatment of mild cases.

A more focused approach to testing at this point enables Ontario's public health laboratory system to expedite testing for hospitalized cases and cases of suspected outbreaks.

New confirmed cases in Ontario

Toronto - 159

Peel Region - 116

York Region - 71

City of Ottawa - 57

Halton - 38

Durham Region - 22

Simcoe Muskoka District - 4

Hamilton - 3

Wellington Dufferin Guelph - 3

Waterloo Region - 2

Niagara Region - 2

Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addingon - 1

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ride - 1

Northwestrn - 1

Perth - 1

Eastern Ontario - 1

Out of province (*) - 2

(*) - Visitors who were tested and confirmed in Ontario but do not reside in the province.

"Most of the testing being done right now is often unnecessary since majority of the cases are mild and can be diagnosed and treated based on the symptoms presented to the physician. Since we're asking that only hospitalized and high-risk patients be tested, we expect future reports will show that the provincial case count is growing at a slower rate," says Dr. David Williams, Ontario's acting chief medical officer of health.

Quick facts

About 85 percent of samples sent for H1N1 flu virus testing turn out to be negative for any kind of flu.

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 who have symptoms of respiratory illness should contact their health-care provider or call Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000.

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 H1N1 flu virus, click here. To learn more about hand washing, go here. Read about public health initiatives in the province.

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