OTTAWA — The first six cases of a mysterious new flu were confirmed in Canada yesterday as the United States moved to declare a national health emergency.

While the six reported cases in Canada and the 20 reported cases in the U.S. of swine flu were considered mild, authorities are concerned we could be seeing the beginning of something that could get much worse.

“Just because so far we have seen relatively mild, typical influenza symptoms … it doesn’t mean that we won’t see either more severe illness or potentially deaths,” said Dr. David Butler-Jones, chief public health officer of Canada.

“No one should lull themselves into thinking that everything is just fine because it’s a relatively mild disease. We can’t say that forever but we are doing everything to minimize that impact.”

TAKE PRECAUTIONS

In Canada, public health officials tried to walk a fine line yesterday, calling on Canadians to be vigilant and take precautions while also urging them not to panic.

The reason the H1N1 swine flu virus has experts so concerned is that it appears to be a mixture of flu viruses that they’ve never seen before.

It is spreading from human to human and is cropping up in countries around the world.

While most flu viruses hit the very young and the very old the hardest, this one seems to be affecting young adults more than normal, said Dr. Kirsty Duncan, a Liberal MP and one of Canada’s foremost experts on influenza pandemics.

“I think it is very concerning for everyone.”

CONTROL ITS SPREAD

As Canadian researchers race to learn more about the new flu virus and develop a vaccine, public health officials are taking steps to control its potential spread.

At airports, passengers heading to or from Mexico will be handed a pamphlet, advising them what they should do if they experience symptoms of the flu. Border officers will be on the lookout for passengers displaying symptoms such as fever or coughing.

Some passengers have been referred for medical checks, said officials.

However, there are no plans to bring back the temperature scanners used during the SARS epidemic, said officials, explaining they weren’t very effective.

The biggest outbreak of cases is in Nova Scotia, where four teenagers aged 12-17 from King’s Edgehill School have been diagnosed with the virus.

The outbreak originated with a class trip down to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico earlier this month. Several students experienced flu symptoms after returning to Canada but they were so mild that they didn’t raise any concerns.

Headmaster Joseph Seagram said 17 students and four staff members are in isolation — either at the school or at home.

In British Columbia, two separate cases of the flu have been identified in people who had visited Mexico. Both patients have mild cases.

story  Edmonton Sun