First Flu of the Season??
Posted by Heather on October 4th, 2005 / 
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Sounds like the flu is starting already.
An unknown respiratory illness has struck an Ontario nursing home, killing six elderly patients — including two announced Monday — and infecting at least 79 residents, employees and visitors.Toronto public health officials are monitoring 170 people connected to Seven Oaks Home for the Aged in Scarborough, a bedroom community just east of Toronto, including families and children who attend a day-care center in the building. Though Seven Oaks is not under quarantine, no visitors have been allowed for several days.
The overnight deaths of two women, aged 95 and 79, brought to six the number of people who have died from the respiratory illness.
Anxiety over the outbreak has been exacerbated by renewed fears of SARS — severe acute respiratory syndrome — which claimed 44 lives in Toronto from two outbreaks in early 2003. More than 8,000 people worldwide contracted the illness and some 774 people died.
One of those who survived the SARS outbreak in Toronto was Dr. Allison McGeer, an infectious disease specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital. On Monday she ruled out SARS, avian flu, Legionnaires and influenza A and B, while emphasizing there was no cause for alarm.
McGeer said the outbreak would not be ruled officially over until eight to 14 days after the last case was reported.
UPDATE: 10/06/2005
Legionnaires’ disease is responsible for these deaths.
October 5th, 2005 at 5:06 pm
This was a good post – it is always scary working in a nursing home, as I have done for years – we seem to breathe everything, and no amount of handwashing seems to cut down on the outbreaks. I’m posting on the outbreak in Toronto – word needs to get out before the flu season starts…