TO: Media
 

RE: First Influenza Cases In Peterborough County and City
 

DATE: December 28, 2006
 

Influenza in Peterborough
 

The Peterborough County-City Health Unit has received the first two laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A this season. Both cases are in the 20 to 29 year age group. Vaccine is available at family physician offices or at the influenza vaccine clinics which will be held every Thursday in January at Portage Place from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm beginning next week .
 

Influenza in Canada
 

Health Canada Fluwatch (http://pcchu.peterborough.on.ca/(http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/fluwatch/05-06/w05_06/index.html) reports 371 cases of influenza in Canada (366 are influenza A and 5 are B). In Ontario, seventy cases have been confirmed (66 are influenza A and 4 are B).
 

Strain Characterization
 

The National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) has characterized 51 influenza viruses for the 2006-2007 influenza season: 20 were A/Wisconsin/67/05(H3N2)-like, 29 were A/New Caledonia/20/1999(H1N1)-like, 1 B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like, and 1 B/Shanghai/361/2002-like. All but the B/Shanghai/361/2002-like strain are included in the composition of the 2006-2007 Canadian influenza vaccine. Of the influenza A viruses characterized, 97% (28/29) of the A(H1N1) viruses were from the West and 95% (19/20) of the A(H3N2) viruses were from Ontario.
 

For more information, contact Edwina Dusome, Manager, Health Protection at (705)743-1000, ext 271.