Health unit declares outbreaks at 13 long-term care homes in Windsor-Essex

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is reporting 13 outbreaks of various illnesses at long-term care homes across the region.

According to officials, an outbreak is defined as two or more cases of an illness with similar symptoms within 48 hours in the same facility.

• Flu infections on the rise in Windsor region

Lora Piccinin, manager of infectious disease prevention, said five of the outbreaks are caused by a particularly aggressive strain of the flu called H3N2.

"It's very tough on the senior population," she said. "There's more pneumonia, more hospitalizations."

Twenty Canadians had died of the flu as of Dec. 31, explained Piccinin, sayingdeath is a real possibility in Windsor as well.

"We had four deaths last year and it wasn't even a strain that attracted seniors," she said. "I would assume that we'll see some deaths."

Long-term care homes in the area have been taking steps to protect their residents, said Piccinin. Some residents are not allowed to return to the home, if they've left, as a way to prevent the spread of illness.

"If you have someone who is healthy and in a hospital, and it's time for them to return to a long-term home, they could still be vulnerable," she said."You're sending that well person into a home where they could get influenza."

Piccinin said although flu season is reaching its peak there's still plenty of time to get a shot before it ends in the spring.