Several schools close in Baffin
Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services
Iqaluit (Feb 26/01) - An outbreak of the flu is tailing off in Pond Inlet and Qikiqtarjuaq, but just beginning to hit hard in Clyde River and Pangnirtung.
"There is certainly a lot of flu about the community and it has been a trying week for all," said Clyde River nurse Mark McKenna.
Nunavut chief medical officer, Ann Roberts, started asking health centres to test patients within the last few weeks and determine if the outbreak is Influenza B.
Symptoms of Influenza B include fever, nausea, diarrhoea and aches and pains.
"Some years are light flu years and some are heavy years," she said. "This is lots of people sick but most communities have reported mild illnesses."
Roberts said about 4,000 flu shots were given in Nunavut this year to those over 50 years or at a high risk of dying from influenza.
"The attack rate is high," she said.
Schools in several communities were closed due to the illness as many students were absent.
"I didn't ask them to close down because you have to breathe wherever you are," said Roberts.
