MEDICAL ADVISORY: Influenza-like Illness & Antiviral Recommendations 

Issued by:  Gayane Hovhannisyan, MD, MPH, PhD, FRCPC, Associate Medical Officer of Health

Influenza Surveillance

• Niagara Region Public Health & Emergency Services is seeing an increase in influenza activity. Latest Public Health Ontario (PHO) data indicates the percentage positivity for influenza A is 11.3% and influenza B is 3.3%.
• Health care providers are recommended to have a heightened awareness of respiratory symptoms and suspect influenza as a causative agent

Prevention & Management

• The preferred and most sensitive method of diagnosis is the nasopharyngeal swab (NP) for those patients identified to be high risk for influenza complications
• Antivirals are recommended, started within 24 hours of symptom onset, for those at risk of complications. Therapy should not be delayed while awaiting test results given the short window to begin treatment.

Influenza Vaccine

• Influenza vaccine has been shipped to providers
• Health care providers are encouraged to recommend influenza vaccine to all persons over 6 months of age. Particular emphasis is encouraged towards those:
  • At high risk of complications
  • Children between the ages of 6 - 59 months
  • People >65 years
  • Pregnant women in all trimesters
  • Persons with underlying health conditions (e.g., cardiopulmonary or renal disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, or weakened immune systems)

Resources

Public Health Ontario, Antiviral Medication for Influenza Information for Health Care Providers.

For further information, please contact Niagara Region Public Health & Emergency Services, Infectious Disease program at 1-888-505-6074 or 905-688-8248 ext. 7330 Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., after hours 905-984-3690.