Nova Scotia confirms four cases of swine flu in province

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090426/health/health_swine_flu_canada


By The Canadian Press
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HALIFAX, N.S. - Health authorities in Nova Scotia say four students in the province who have had mild cases of swine flu do have a link with Mexico.

The cases are the first in Canada to be linked to Mexico, where the disease has killed up to 81 people and likely sickened more than 1,300 since April 13.

The province's public health officer, Dr. Robert Strang, said the four infected people in the Windsor area recovering from the illness, describing them as "mild" cases.

Sources say British Columbia has found a pair of cases but it is not yet clear if they have a link to Mexico.

Canadian officials are also planning a briefing on Sunday in Ottawa on the swine flu situation, which the World Health Organization has declared to be a "public health emergency of international concern."

Health authorities in Nova Scotia said Sunday the students reported fatigue, muscle aches and coughing, but nothing out of the ordinary for people who suffer from the flu.

"The swine flu were are seeing outside of Mexico is very mild," said Strang.

Health officials said the school the infected students attend is a private school.

Although four students at the school have reported getting sick, only two of them went on a school trip to Mexico between April 1 and 8.

Health officials say between 20 and 23 students were on the trip.

"We have to keep things in perspective, it is a mild illness," Strang said.

Although health officials say four students have tested positive for swine flu, 11 of 17 students they have contacted so far who were on the trip to Mexico did get ill.

Because swine flu is so new, most laboratories don't have tests to identify them, and they show up as untypeable influenza A when tests are run.

Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon told CTV the federal cabinet has set up an operations committee and has been monitoring the swine flu situation closely.

Foreign Affairs has posted information on its website on the health situation in Mexico but is not telling Canadians to stay away from the country.

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