Canadians are facing a miserable flu season with the early and unexpected arrival of a particularly nasty strain of the virus that was not targeted in this year's shots.
The type of influenza called A Fujian, which surfaced in the Prairies and has since spread to British Columbia and Ontario, is expected to find its way to all parts of the country before finally running its course.
Although flu season runs between October and April, the disease most often surfaces in January, so it's unusual to have large numbers of people sick this early.
There have been 43 cases of influenza diagnosed in Canada this fall, with two thirds of them determined to be the A Fujian strain. However, not everyone who has the flu seeks medical treatment and doctors say there are a lot more people with the virus than official records would suggest.
"It's definitely here and it's going to be spreading," Andrew Simor, the head of microbiology at Toronto's Sunnybrook and Women's Health Sciences Centre, said yesterday.
"It's a relatively new strain and, because of that, people have not been exposed to it before and therefore may develop more severe illness."
Since it was not expected to surface this year, it was not included in the flu vaccine currently being offered across the country.
However, doctors are still recommending that Canadians be inoculated.
"The good news," Dr. Simor said, "is the current vaccine provides some partial protection because it has in it the A-Panama [virus], which is closely related."
Every flu season is a bit different, and Canada has just enjoyed three relatively mild years — a respite that followed several heavy years, said Theresa Tam, Health Canada's manager of respiratory illnesses.
It's been some time since A(H3) — which includes A Fujian — was the dominant strain, she said, adding that it tends to be a heavier more severe form of influenza than its cousins, A(H1) and A(B), which have been dominant in recent years and are included in the vaccine.
As with all influenzas, the key symptom of A Fujian is a high fever accompanied by a cough or a sore throat. "Influenza is more severe than a cold," Dr. Tam said.
"It tends to affect your whole body.
"You feel generally sick, you may get aches and pains in your muscles and your joints.
"Many people feel they have very low energy, and this could continue for a week or longer, even for a young, healthy adult."
As does Dr. Simor, Dr. Tam recommends getting the flu shot.
"The coverage is expected to be better for the strain that is matched in the vaccine," she said.
As to "the degree of protection provided for the new variant, we don't know precisely.
"We just know that there should be some cross-protection."
Flu shots are particularly vital for the elderly, Dr. Tam said.
Those who are inoculated "may still get it, but you would reduce your risk of getting hospitalized or the risk of death from influenza."
And the strains of influenza that are included in the vaccine are still in circulation, she said.
"It's sometimes difficult to tell which one you're going to get."
At least five young children in Britain have died from the A Fujian strain of the virus.
Dr. Tam said she could not say with certainty that there have been no deaths in Canada, because the provinces and territories are not required to report them to Health Canada.
"However, I have had no reports of childhood deaths related to influenza so far," she said.
An influenza tends to stay in a community for six to eight weeks, Dr. Simor said.
So Alberta and Saskatchewan may be over the worst of it while Ontario can expect to peak in the coming days.
"The most vulnerable people will be older individuals, people over the age 60 ..... and those with underlying lung disease; people who smoke or who have chronic bronchitis or emphysema; people with heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease," he said.
But "in young, healthy adults, influenza is more of a nuisance.
"You feel pretty bad but you get better in a week or so."
