Bird Flu in Canada?

www.canada.com...

TORONTO -- An investigation is underway after more than two dozen birds were found dead on a Toronto golf course.

Police were called to the Dentonia Golf Course in the city's northeast end Friday after some 30 dead birds were discovered.

The Toronto Wildlife Centre has collected the birds and sent them to Guelph for testing.

Police are warning of the possible danger to animals in the area because it is unknown what caused the birds' deaths.

www.640toronto.com...
UPDATE: Unknown Respiratory Illness
Oct, 01 2005 - 2:00 AM

TORONTO/640 TORONTO - 14 cases of an unknown respiratory illness in Scarborough today.
2 people were admitted to Scarborough General Hospital with an unknown respiratory illness. They have been placed in respiratory isolation, but contrary to reports this morning, the hospital was never placed under quarantine.

Earlier reports that Rouge Valley Centenary in Scarborough was also quarantined have also been struck down.

Director of Communications at Rouge Valley Health Anne-Marie Males says 12 residents of the 7 Oaks nursing home have been admitted to their hospital with flu-like symptoms. They have all been put in isolated rooms, but she says this is a all normal precaution taken when an illness hasn't been identified.

She says Rouge Valley is asking patients not to bring visitors through emergency, but states again that there is no quarantine in effect at their facility.




Could be nothing but should be taken with concern. Anyone else read anything or heard anything else about it?


[edit on 1-10-2005 by UFObeliever]

I've been trying to find as much info on what's going on at the nursing home as I can. As of now there's 68 residents sick and 5 staff members, and 4 dead.

I found this artcle:

Globe and Mail

Medical experts are continuing their investigation into a mystery illness that has killed at least four residents at a Toronto nursing home. Although the deaths sparked fears of an epidemic such as the SARS outbreak that killed 44 people in 2003, health officials say their testing has ruled out several of the most feared infectious diseases.

"We know from the testing that's been done so far that this is not influenza. We know this is not SARS. We know this is not avian influenza," said Allison McGeer, an infectious-disease consultant at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital who worked extensively on the SARS epidemic.

"There are many other viruses it could be," Dr. McGeer said, "and the Ontario Public Health lab is working very hard on identifying which one of those viruses it might be."

.....

The wide variety of flu viruses can make it difficult to arrive at a quick diagnosis, hospital representatives said.

We know it's not influenza, but due to the wide variety of flu [influenza] viruses, it can be difficult to get a quick diagnosis.

Does this strike anyone else as a bit unsatisfying, and perhaps worrisome?

Does anyone know the percentage of people ill, if there is a low number of people living at the nursing home then it must spread at an alarming rate

Originally posted by Grailkeeper
Does anyone know the percentage of people ill, if there is a low number of people living at the nursing home then it must spread at an alarming rate

Approx. 30% of the residents are ill. The facility houses 250 people.

As of now 10 people have died of the illness, killing people aging from 80-94.
They say they're confident it's under control, let's hope so, and I hope they will figure out what it is going around. It's got me curious.

My aunt works for nursing home in Scarborough and lives near the nursing home in question. She says that 7 dead, 9 health care workers sick.

she's very concerned and says that health workers are worried about showing up for their shifts.

Originally posted by worldwatcher
My aunt works for nursing home in Scarborough and lives near the nursing home in question. She says that 7 dead, 9 health care workers sick.

she's very concerned and says that health workers are worried about showing up for their shifts.

I don't doubt it.

What bothers me the most is they say they're confident they have it under control, yet they apparently don't yet know what they're dealing with.
I think they'd be better served to shut their mouths on that front. It might come back and bite them in their arses.

Hopefully it'll be over soon.

I heard today on the new ( radio ) that the death count was up to 16.
They are still ruling out the 'usual suspects'.

Could we consider that these samples taken from the sick were perhaps taken too soon?

If a sample was collected too early it could give a false negative for certain flu strains including the H5N1. I am not implying it is the H5 but certainly they could get a false positive which could result in them not being able to determine what it is.
Are they testing everyone now even if they aren't showing symptoms that work in that place?

They are now calling it an outbreak of Legionairres Disease. As of today, 17 have perished, the last being an 89 year-old women.

God rest their souls.

We live in perilous times. A disease from 1976 is killing old folks in a Toronto old age facility. H5N1 threatens us with a flu that brings back memories from 1918.

[edit on 8-10-2005 by JoeFriday]