Flu outbreak hits Pangnirtung
Influenza spreads in multiple Nunavut communities
Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Monday, May 9, 2016
PANNIQTUUQ/PANGNIRTUNG
An influenza outbreak hit Pangnirtung last week, closing the schools and sending many residents to the health centre.
Both Attagoyuk Ilisavik and Alookie School closed for the majority of last week due to the high number of staff members who are sick.
Kim Barker, chief medical officer of health for the territory, said April showed increased activity of respiratory illnesses.
"We had a number of cases who've tested positive for influenza A," said Barker.
"It's not just in Pang. It's also in Pond Inlet and we've seen a little bit of activity in Rankin and Arctic Bay. I think that a number of people were affected."
Speaking to Nunavut News/North on May 5, Barker said the health centre in Pangnirtung was reporting a slowdown in the number of visits during the last 24 hours, and she was hopeful the situation would continue to dissipate.
Barker said a couple of the cases have been serious. For the most part, she said it has been a "self-limited viral illness."
The territory has seen 30 cases of influenza confirmed with laboratory tests, two of which are from Pangnirtung, but that number is not comprehensive because health centres typically stop testing patients once staff members know there's an outbreak and everyone has the same issues.
In these small communities, the only way for influenza to get in is through flight travel.
"It would typically spread by people who travel from various parts of the country where it might already be endemic," said Barker.
The strain of influenza affecting residents in Pangnirtung was supposed to be blocked by the government's flu vaccine, but Barker said it's difficult to know the extent to which people in the communities took the vaccine and whether people affected by the flu were vaccinated or not.
"Interestingly enough, it seems to be affecting all age groups," said Barker. "We've had infants right up to elders. It doesn't seem to be a particular strain that affects one age group more than another."
She advises people with a high fever, shortness of breath and cough to visit the health centre. People with mild flu-like symptoms are advised to stay home and try not to spread it to others in the community.
Barker recommends people wash their hands often and cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing.
The flu vaccine is still available, but it likely won't be effective to combat an outbreak because it takes a few weeks to start working.
