Located downtown Victoria BC, the BCAAFC is the umbrella association for 23 Friendship Centres throughout the Province of British Columbia. Friendship Centres provide a number of quality services to the Aboriginal communities located in an urban setting.
Swine influenza or swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly infects pigs. Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans; however, human infections with swine flu do occur and cases of person-to-person spread of these viruses have been documented.
Swine flu viruses cause high levels of illness and low death rates in pigs. These viruses may circulate among swine throughout the year, but most outbreaks occur during the late fall and winter months similar to outbreaks in humans. The classical swine flu virus (an influenza type A H1N1 virus) was first isolated from a pig in 1930.
Please click HERE to continue to the BC Centre for Disease Control website for more information on H1N1 including:
Definition
Symptoms
Causes
Tests and Diagnosis
Treatment and Drugs
and Prevention
Tools & Resources (Downloads)
National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC)
In response to a series of questions the NAFC received from Friendship Centres they have created a briefing on H1N1 for Friendship Centres Consideration. The information contained has been adapted from materials on the Public Health Agency of Canada's website concerening H1N1. The National Association of Friendship Centres encourages each Friendship Centre to take the appropiate actions to ensure that their staff and clients are safe.
Posters and Video
These Public Health Agency of Canada products provide timely messages about what you can do to protect yourself and others. Please feel free to share these messages with others.
Campaign on Infection Prevention Measures
Posters (11" x 17") color - low resolution (PDF Version, 363 kb)
H1N1 Public Service Announcement (The Province of BC)
GET THE FACTS ABOUT FLU AND STAY HEALTHY
Influenza is caused by viruses, and is generally spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Here are six simple, common sense precautions that can help safeguard everyone’s health:
1) Stay home when you’re sick or have influenza symptoms. Get plenty of rest and check with a health care provider as needed.
2) Avoid close contact with people who are sick. If you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick.
3) Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, and throw the tissue away immediately. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
4) Wash your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from getting sick. When soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers.
5) Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. You can become ill by touching a surface contaminated with germs and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
6) Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage stress, drink plenty of fluids, eat nutritious foods, and avoid smoking, which may increase the risk of serious consequences if you do contract the flu.
If you have a fever or cough illness, regardless of where you have travelled, stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. See a health care provider if your symptoms become worse but call ahead of time to let them know you have fever or cough illness.
You can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1, 24 hours a day/seven days a week to speak to a nurse if you have more questions or if feeling ill.
For more steps on how to protect you and your family visit www.FightFlu.ca
Links
H1N1 Flu Virus Information- The Province of British Columbia
(.pdf) 493kb
