?It?s starting to ramp up?: More Alberta flu deaths and hospitalizations prompt immunization reminder

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EDMONTON ? New data from Alberta Health Services shows the province is well into the flu season and that the H1N1 strain is responsible for the majority of flu-related deaths.

Figures released Thursday show a jump in deaths, hospitalizations as well as lab-confirmed cases from two weeks ago, when AHS urged residents to get immunized amidst news Alberta was in the early stages of ?an influenza outbreak.?

There have now been seven influenza-related deaths in the province; there were five two weeks ago. The two new deaths were in Edmonton. Both people were between the ages of 18 and 64 and both were not immunized.
All five of the deaths in Edmonton were from the H1N1 strain. The H3N2 strain is responsible for the two deaths in Calgary.

http://globalnews.ca/news/2486820/more-alberta-flu-deaths-and-hospitalizations-prompt-immunization-reminder/

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11 more Albertans die of flu complications

Another 11 Albertans have died in the last week as a result of influenza.
A week ago there were 27 deaths and that number has now climbed to 38, says an Alberta Health Services AHS) report.
This flu season we are dealing mainly with the H1N1 strain, which affects younger people more than the elderly who often have underlying health issues, said Dr. Martin Lavoie, acting chief medical officer of health for Alberta Health, recently. The H1N1 strain in 2009 was new and therefore had a more significant impact.

http://medicinehatnews.com/news/local-news/2016/03/19/11-more-albertans-die-of-flu-complications/

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Nine more influenza deaths in Alberta this week
So far this flu season 47 people have died in Alberta from influenza, with four believe to have been immunized.
The number of deaths has increased by nine from last week.
From August of 2015 to Thursday, 14 people in the Edmonton Zone have died from confirmed cases of the flu.
In total, according to the latest numbers from Alberta Health Services, 4287 Albertans have contracted confirmed cases of influenza, which is up by 436 from last week.
1209 Albertans have been to the hospital with influenza

http://www.inews880.com/2016/03/24/n...rta-this-week/

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Another five Albertans dead from influenza

Another five Albertans have died in the last week as a result of influenza, including two in Alberta Health Service?s south zone.
There have now been 55 deaths this flu season and in the south zone there have been four, says an AHS report.
?I think we are seeing across the province that the flu season this year, the peak, was later than we?d seen in previous years,? said Dr. Lena Derie-Gillespie, medical officer of health in Medicine Hat.
Earlier in the season the south zone hardly featured in weekly statistics but that has changed recently.
Derie-Gillespie says that could be because the south zone only has a population of about 200,000 while the central zone has about 470,000.
?It?s just the entire province is seeing a later season this year,? said Derie-Gillespie.
There have been 3,580 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A in the province this flu season and 1,288 cases of influenza B. In the south zone there have been 253 cases of influenza A and 128 of influenza B.
In the south zone the number of influenza B cases increased from 100 cases to 128 cases in just the last week.

http://medicinehatnews.com/news/local-news/2016/04/09/another-five-albertans-dead-from-influenza/