The influenza virus or "flu" is a respiratory illness that spreads most frequently in the fall and winter. Influenza spreads from person-to-person through coughing, sneezing or having face-to-face contact (e.g., talking). While anyone can get influenza, the very young, the elderly and people with certain medical conditions are at higher risk of complications. The best way to prevent getting sick with influenza is to get the seasonal influenza vaccine every year.
There are three main types of the influenza virus: A, B, and C. Types A and B are usually the viruses detected during the Influenza season, which runs between November and April each year.
For more information, view local Influenza activity on our respiratory dashboard page.
Contact our Communicable Disease Control (CDC) program at 705-474-1400 or toll free at 1-800-563-2808, ext. 5229, or by email to cdc@healthunit.ca for more information.
Last updated: October 2024, by CDC