Health officials in Waterloo Region say they are preparing for an early flu season.
The Region of Waterloo Public Health says it’s monitoring one of the worst influenza seasons in decades in Australia.
Two-hundred people have died across the country and a reported 400 babies have come down with the virus in one Australian province alone, according to public health officials.
They say the cases in Australia help them predict what could happen in the coming months here in Canada.
The Canadian flu season generally begins in October and ramps up around the Christmas holiday and this year they say we could see the virus emerge earlier than usual.
Kristy Wright, the manager of infectious disease with the Region of Waterloo Public Health, says while there is no concrete evidence, there is speculation that international travel and the weather could play a role in the spread of the flu virus this year.
Wright says the region is also monitoring emergency room visits, school absences, and off-season reports.
