Manitoba Health and Healthy Living reported two new confirmed cases of H1N1 flu, also known as the swine flu, in a media bulletin June 4, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 40, nearly four times as many confirmed cases as there were just eight days earlier. Of 25 patients in intensive care with confirmed or suspected cases of the H1N1 virus, six were from the Burntwood health region and a majority were First Nations or Inuit, said Manitoba's chief public health officer Dr. Joel Kettner.
"More than half of the patients are in that category," said Kettner.
The latest confirmed cases included a male from the Winnipeg health region who had not been hospitalized as well as a male from a First Nation community in the Burntwood health region, the bulletin reported. It was not reported whether the male from the Burntwood region was in hospital or which First Nation he was from, though Chief David McDougall of St. Theresa Point First Nation, which is located in the Burntwood health region, stated at a press conference in Winnipeg June 4 that his community had two confirmed cases of H1N1 flu.
"I will not be able to confirm any H1N1 results by community," Lisa Richards, medical officer of health for Manitoba Health's Burntwood and Churchill regional health authorities, wrote in response to an email inquiry, saying that although the Public Health Act allows for communities to be identified, it was no longer necessary. "All communities likely have the virus and the same precautions should be taken throughout Manitoba."
At press time, six health regions in the province had confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus, with Winnipeg reporting 26, Brandon five, Burntwood four, Norman three and Parkland and South Eastman one case each. At least two of the Burntwood region patients with the virus were hospitalized, while the status of another was listed as unknown. A male between the ages of 30 and 39 from the Winnipeg health region who had been working at the Wuskwatim dam near Nelson House was reported in hospital with a confirmed case of H1N1 in a May 27 bulletin from Manitoba Health.
In a June 8 press conference, Kettner said that approximately 25 patients were in intensive care on ventilators with influenza-like illness as of June 7, not all of whom were confirmed as having the H1N1 virus, though he expected most, if not all, would be confirmed. That number, said Jan Currie, vice-president and chief nursing officer with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, was in addition to the normal average of 30 to 35 intensive care patients on ventilators in all city hospitals on any given day.
Manitoba Health reported June 4 that it was assisting with the situation on an unidentified First Nations community in the region by providing three additional doctors, 45 courses of antiviral treatments and 10,000 surgical and 2,600 N95 masks.
"St. Theresa Point is a First Nations Inuit Health (FNIH) community and although it sits within the Burntwood region, BRHA does not receive any specific case information on individuals from FNIH communities, although we do work closely with FNIH on many public health-related issues," Richards said. "What I can tell you is that all confirmed H1N1 cases identified to date in individuals residing in the Burntwood region (4) are from FNIH communities."
Christelle Legault, a media relations officer with Health Canada, said the department's response to the outbreak of respiratory illness in St. Theresa Point included sending additional nurses to the First Nation on June 1 to ensure that people have access to immediate care at the community's nursing station.
"The Public Health Agency of Canada sent one epidemiologist to St. Theresa Point to review the pattern of transmission, examine the clinical presentation and outcome of residents with influenza-like illness, and determine the origins of the virus," said Legault. "This enhanced surveillance will inform Health Canada's response to other communities with influenza-like illness."
In addition to the two confirmed cases from the remote First Nations community of 3,200 people, McDougall said last week that 21 other residents were in hospital in Winnipeg with flu-like symptoms.
Niki Ashton, New Democrat MP for the Churchill riding that includes St. Theresa Point said the situation called for both short- and long-term solutions.
"Right now, they need urgent medical services and an appropriate information campaign," said Ashton. In the long term, they need a health care centre to meet the growing needs of the community. This issue isn't just about influenza - it's also about the living conditions of First Nations. Lack of roads, sewers, clean water, housing and health care facilities contribute to the dire situation they face."
As of June 5, a total of 2,115 laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1 flu virus had been reported in nine provinces and three territories in Canada, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Manitoba had the fewest of the four western Canadian provinces, with confirmed cases in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan ranging from 142 to 179. As of June 3, 96 hospitalizations and three deaths had been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases. No deaths had been reported in Manitoba.
