Up to 650,000 deaths a year are associated with respiratory diseases from seasonal influenza, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates – that’s an increase of up to 30 per cent from a decade ago.
And Canada’s flu season is expected to be a doozy, the Government of Canada warns.
According to WHO, previous global estimates of death resulting from such respiratory diseases from the flu sat between 250,000 and 500,000, but now new figures show that has jumped to 290,000 to 650,000.
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This is based on more recent data that included a more diverse group of countries that include lower middle-income countries, and excluding deaths from non-respiratory diseases. The estimate also took into account several recent respiratory mortality studies, including one published in the Lancet on Thursday by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“These figures indicate the high burden of influenza and its substantial social and economic cost to the world,” Dr. Peter Salama, executive director of WHO’s health emergencies programme, said in a statement. “They highlight the importance of influenza prevention for seasonal epidemics, as well as preparedness for pandemics.”
Most deaths, the WHO says, happen with people over the age of 75 and in the world’s poorest regions. Sub-Saharan Africa has the greatest risk, followed by the Eastern Mediterranean and Southeast Asia.
“All countries, rich and poor, large and small, must work together to control influenza outbreaks before the arrival of the next pandemic,” Salama said. “This includes building capacity to detect and respond to outbreaks, and strengthening health systems to improve the health of the most vulnerable and those most at risk.”
Canada, too, is bracing for the influenza impact.
According to the Government of Canada’s Flu Watch report, the 2017-18 flu season started early. As of the week of Nov. 26, (the latest statistics) there have been 2,970 laboratory-confirmed cases. The number and percentage of influenza A detection for the week are higher than in previous seasons, although similar to the 2014-15 season, the Flu Watch report states.
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In fact, the cumulative number of influenza A detection in particular this season is higher compared to the previous seven seasons. The number and percentage of positive tests for influenza B also remains higher for this time of year compared to the same period during the past seven seasons, with five times the number of cumulative detection compared to the same period during the 2014-15, the report adds.
Alberta has reported the most influenza cases. The only area of Canada which has none is Northwest Territories.
To date this season, there have been 517 influenza-associated hospitalizations in Canada, 89 per cent of which were associated with influenza A (H3N2), and 372 cases involved adults over the age of 65.
The number of cases is “considerably elevated,” the report says, relative to the same period two seasons ago.
There have also been 21 ICU admissions and 13 reported deaths related to the flu.
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