Swine flu hitting northern Ont. First Nations; Lots of flu, Sandy Lake chief says

[Diane Morin]

Swine flu hitting northern Ont. First Nations; Lots of flu, Sandy Lake chief says

By Helen Branswell – 2 hours ago

TORONTO — Swine flu has started to circulate in First Nations communities in northern Ontario, with hundreds of people falling ill on the Sandy Lake First Nation reserve.

Chief Adam Fiddler said Sunday that an enhanced contingent of nurses and a doctor were distributing the antiviral drug Tamiflu to people who were ill.

"We do have a lot of sick people... 120 yesterday alone and they saw many last night and all day today," Fiddler said by phone from the community.

He said people don't seem to be suffering more severe disease than is seen during regular flu seasons. The challenge for the community is the fact that a lot of people are sick at the same time, which is why extra nurses and a doctor were flown in to help.

"So far I don't see anything more severe than a bad case of influenza," Fiddler said.

The community is located on Sandy Lake in northwestern Ontario, near the Manitoba border.

Fiddler said half of the kids attending the community's school were out sick this week and a decision was taken to close the school.
Local authorities are urging people try to avoid exposure to those who are sick, but that's easier said than done in the fly-in community of nearly 2,700 people.

"When ... you're in the city you may have two or three people and it's easy to say: Stay home," Fiddler said.

"But when you have three families living in one house, you're all going to be in contact. And it's more difficult to contain here in the community."
Authorities have also asked people in Sandy Lake not to travel to other First Nations communities along the lake, Kee-Way-Win and Koochiching, so as not to spread the virus.

Sandy Lake First Nations is a community is Oji-Cree, a combination of Ojibwa and Cree. It is not far from St. Theresa Point, the Manitoba community that hit the news last week with seemingly a serious outbreak of swine flu.

More than two dozen people from St. Theresa Point have been flown to Winnipeg for treatment.

Fiddler said five or six people from Sandy Lake have also been evacuated for treatment, though none was suffering from life-threatening illness. His 11-year-old son was one of them. The boy, who has severe asthma, was flown out for care early last week, but has since returned home - as have most of the people who were flown out for treatment.

The new flu virus has probably been circulating in the community for a couple of weeks, Fiddler said, but was only confirmed through laboratory testing mid-way through last week.


Follow Canadian Press Medical Writer Helen Branswell's flu updates on Twitter at CP-Branswell

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[Shiloh]

Re: Swine flu hitting northern Ont. First Nations; Lots of flu, Sandy Lake chief says

Source: http://www.canada.com/Health/Isolated+reserve+braces+more+swine+cases/1697300/story.html

Isolated Ont. reserve braces for more swine flu cases
By Linda Nguyen, Canwest News ServiceJune 15, 2009 10:38 AM

An isolated northwestern Ontario First Nation was braced for more confirmed cases of swine flu Monday as officials prepared for one of the busiest times of the month: the day when welfare cheques are ready for pickup.

An H1N1 outbreak was confirmed in the community of Sandy Lake First Nation over the weekend when more than 120 people were treated with flu-like symptoms.

A total of 10 of those cases have been confirmed as the H1N1 virus by health officials.

Chief Adam Fiddler said residents have been urged to stay home and avoid congregating in large groups to prevent the further spread of the virus in the community, about 500 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.

But on Monday, many people who are sick will have little choice but to line up to get their social services cheque.

"Today is going to be the test. We have a high unemployment rate in the community and today is welfare day," Fiddler said. "We have the welfare lines and there is one store in the community that everyone goes to. Typically on this day, the store is quite packed."

He said there will be officials stationed outside the Northern Store all day to limit the number of people who enter the business at one time. These restrictions will only be in place Monday.

Fiddler said the store, which is the only place in the community that sells food, was already struggling to stay open after more than half its staff came down with flu-like symptoms last week.

"At this point, we don't know where it came from but once it hits a community like ours it's going to spread like wildfire," he said. "Sandy Lake is not under quarantine, but we're asking residents to restrict travel, to please postpone your trip if you can and if you're visiting, it's best if you leave right away."

Fiddler said he estimates more people have the virus and have just not been given the antiviral drug Tamiflu because they have a mild form of swine flu.

Tamiflu is most effective when given within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms. The community was given 500 treatments to disperse.

A team of nine nurses and two doctors has set up a nursing station in the community to see those with symptoms, which may include coughing and fever.

At least 10 people have been medevaced out of the fly-in community.

Those who have been hit with swine flu so far have been mostly young children, prompting the continued closure of the local school Monday.

"It comes in waves. It's hitting everybody. First it started with children from six years to 14 years old, then it was smaller children and infants," Fiddler said. "My fear is when it hits the high-risk groups, like people who are prenatal, postpartum or elders with chronic illnesses."

Fiddler's own 11-year-old son was flown out of Sandy Lake last week for treatment of flu-like symptoms. He returned, but now has pneumonia and was flown out again Sunday night to Winnipeg.

Isolated First Nations such as Sandy Lake are particularly vulnerable to influenza outbreaks.

St. Theresa Point and Garden Hills First Nations in Manitoba both witnessed rising numbers of flu cases over the last week. The two communities, each more than 400 kilometres north of Winnipeg, have struggled to cope with the surge in cases due to limited medical supplies and staff.

Last week, the World Health Organization raised the alert level on th H1N1 flu virus to pandemic level six ? the highest level on its health warning scale. The decision was made due to the spread of the virus worldwide, and not on the severity of the confirmed cases.

Canada has reported about 3,500 confirmed swine flu cases. Six of those have been connected to deaths.