Nunavut confirms 1st swine flu case

Nunavut has its first confirmed case of swine flu caused by the H1N1 influenza virus.

The territory's Health Department announced Friday that a person was being treated for a respiratory illness outside Nunavut when diagnosed with swine flu.

The department would not release the name of the patient, or where in Nunavut the patient is from, citing the need to protect that person and his or her family.

Dr. Isaac Sobol, the territory's chief medical officer of health, said the patient did not travel to Mexico or the United States. He added it's now impossible to pinpoint where the patient contracted the H1N1 virus because it is so widespread.

Sobol warned that swine flu may have been in Nunavut for some time already.

"If someone is infected with the virus and isn't really sick, they might not even go to a health centre. So yes, that's entirely possible," he said Friday.

"That's why in our briefing, we mentioned this is our first lab-confirmed case."

Health officials say they're prepared for any additional cases to come up in Nunavut. Anyone with flu-like symptoms is being urged to stay home, rest and drink plenty of fluids.

Should symptoms escalate, patients should go to their local health centre or see a doctor.

The Yukon confirmed its first case of swine flu earlier this month. The Northwest Territories is the only northern territory with no reported cases to date.

Sobol said it is odd to see any influenza activity at this time of year.

Canada's swine flu case count has jumped nearly 20 per cent since Wednesday, largely due to a rise in cases in Ontario, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. The count in Ontario rose by 131 cases to 626.

The agency says there were 1,336 cases in nine provinces and two territories and two deaths as of Friday.