British Columbia reports 2 cases of swine flu
VANCOUVER, B.C. - Two men in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia are suffering with swine flu.
Health officials confirmed the men, aged between 25 and 35 years old, contracted the potentially deadly flu strain while visiting Mexico.
In two separate incidents, the men tested positive for the milder strain of the swine-flu virus that has caused illness in California, after complaining of upper respiratory problems.
"We’ve confirmed some cases of swine influenza in B.C.," said Dr. Danuta Skowronski, the flu expert at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control in Vancouver.
The men were not hospitalized, and are recovering at home in isolation.
"They were asked to self-isolate," she said.
There have been four cases of swine flu in Nova Scotia, bringing the number of cases in Canada so far to six.
Skowronski said Vancouver International Airport is being monitored by quarantine officials for people getting off planes with more severe symptoms. For people returning from Mexico with a serious fever and coughing, she said, they should phone their doctor.
"This is not necessarily 'scary monsters,'" she said. "We are very aware of the potential concern."
Swine flu has killed up to 86 people in Mexico, and is spreading in the United States.
Story is reprinted by permission from The Province of Vancouver, B.C. Read the original story with comments.
Health officials confirmed the men, aged between 25 and 35 years old, contracted the potentially deadly flu strain while visiting Mexico.
In two separate incidents, the men tested positive for the milder strain of the swine-flu virus that has caused illness in California, after complaining of upper respiratory problems.
"We’ve confirmed some cases of swine influenza in B.C.," said Dr. Danuta Skowronski, the flu expert at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control in Vancouver.
The men were not hospitalized, and are recovering at home in isolation.
"They were asked to self-isolate," she said.
There have been four cases of swine flu in Nova Scotia, bringing the number of cases in Canada so far to six.
Skowronski said Vancouver International Airport is being monitored by quarantine officials for people getting off planes with more severe symptoms. For people returning from Mexico with a serious fever and coughing, she said, they should phone their doctor.
"This is not necessarily 'scary monsters,'" she said. "We are very aware of the potential concern."
Swine flu has killed up to 86 people in Mexico, and is spreading in the United States.
Story is reprinted by permission from The Province of Vancouver, B.C. Read the original story with comments.