An Associate Professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathology with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine reports patterns of seasonal flu this past fall and winter have been similar to what is usually seen.
This year the pattern of influenza has been very close to normal where we see two peaks, one in the fall and winter in humans around November-December and again after the holidays when people get together and we start to see some carryover into pigs at the same time.
Dr. Susan Detmer, an Associate Professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathology with the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine, says flu activity in humans is starting to decline after that first peak and the same is happening with pigs.
You can look up online, the human activity and the number of influenza like reporting and the number of strains that they’re seeing is actually around the normal amount for this fall. It was not an increase above the normal amount that is reported through the health care system.
As far as pigs go, I’m still seeing the same number. I’m not seeing any more overall submissions to test and then the same with isolations. For me to get 24 viruses in three months is normal for a fall and that’s what I had this fall as well. I actually had 26 instead of 24 so it’s not a discernible increase.
The major concern is the type of viruses because some of them are more likely to cross between pigs and people and one of those is the pandemic H1N1 strain.
~ Dr. Susan Detmer, Western College of Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Detmer notes there is still vaccine available so, if you have not been vaccinated yet this year, you still can. She says most people can get vaccinated at a pharmacy and do not have to do so at the doctor’s office.
