Fujian flu more severe, but not unusual

It arrived sooner and hit harder, but this year's strain of influenza isn't anything out of the ordinary, experts say.

A/Fujian influenza, a mutation of last year's Panama strain, is regarded as more virulent and accounted for more than 90% of reported flu cases in December, states Health Canada.

This is the most severe flu season in 4 years, acknowledges Dr. Theresa Tam, chief of respiratory disease at the Centre for Infectious Disease Control and Prevention. A new flu strain typically affects younger and older people, she adds.

At the end of 2003, Health Canada had confirmed 2 deaths in children with confirmed influenza A infection, and 2 other suspected deaths. Typically, up to 4 Canadian children die of influenza-related illness annually. On average, 500–1500 deaths per year are reported in Canada due to influenza or influenza-related pneumonia.

Given reports of fatalities among children in British Columbia and the vulnerability of the pediatric population to the new flu strain, Tam recommends that Canada follow the US lead in advocating routine immunization of children.

At present, about 30%–40% of parents get their children immunized, says Dr. Danuta Skowronski, an epidemiologist with the BC Centre for Disease Control. “It's particularly important that they are vaccinated against influenza if they suffer from heart or lung disease, cancer, or have some type of immune-compromising disorder.”

Although the current vaccine is not designed to prevent infection with A/Fujian, it will give partial protection, adds Dr. Raymond Tellier, a microbiologist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.Tellier reports seeing “many more sick children” than usual, as do some adult hospitals. The Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax reports a spike in cases among the elderly. — Louise Gagnon, Ottawa