Lakelands Public Health reports first laboratory-confirmed case of Influenza A
By editor/reporter Sarah Hyatt
The local health unit has put out an earlier-than-normal call for the coming respiratory season after confirmation of the first influenza case for 2026-27.
While the first laboratory-confirmed case of Influenza A – commonly known as the flu – was confirmed in the neighbouring City of Peterborough – Lakelands Public Health staff are urging all residents to act to prevent illness and stop spread this respiratory season.
“This is one month earlier than last year’s first case, which was confirmed in October,” said public health, in a recent release. “During the 2025-26 respiratory season, there were 1,104 laboratory-confirmed flu cases across the Lakelands Public Health region.”
In addition to Northumberland, the health unit’s coverage area includes Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough, Alderville First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation.
Normally, in Canada, the flu season starts around early October and can stretch into May, noted public health officials.
Waves of high transmission can vary each season.
And while this region’s overall respiratory virus activity is still considered “low” – which is in line with provincial and national data at press deadline – officials have put out their regular call for residents to do what they can to prevent spread for the respiratory season.
“The early arrival of influenza is an important reminder that respiratory season is here, and we all have a role to play in prevention to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities,” said Dr. Thomas Piggott, who also serves as Lakelands Public Health’s medical officer of health (MOH) and CEO. “Getting the flu vaccine when it becomes available is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of severe illness, particularly for those who are more vulnerable.”
With influenza arriving early this year, Lakelands Public Health is again urging residents to take steps to help prevent the spread of all respiratory illnesses such as influenza, COVID-19 and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus.)
The health unit continues to remind people of the importance of staying home if sick, practising proper hand-hygiene and paying attention to indoor air quality. Public health also encourages people to roll up their sleeves for their jabs starting next month.
Staff said the flu shot is expected to be available in October and is available for free for those six months of age and older, with a focus on protecting older adults, young kids and pregnant individuals who are at higher risk of developing serious complications.
While the health unit also said it anticipates sharing more information about vaccine availability timelines once received from the province, residents are also encouraged to speak with primary-care providers or pharmacists about eligibility for all vaccines.
Officials also continue to encourage residents to consider wearing a mask in indoor settings if recovering from a respiratory infection, if there’s high transmission or residents want to avoid infection and/or are at higher-risk of severe illness from a respiratory infection.
In terms of local resources, the health unit also has a respiratory infections dashboard online, which officials said is meant to help people stay informed and make data-driven health decisions.
The online tool provides data on lab-confirmed cases for respiratory infections, as well as outbreaks in high-risk settings, explained staff, noting people can now also subscribe for email notifications when dashboards are updated.
What’s more, staff said plans are in the works to launch enhanced respiratory virus wastewater surveillance in the late fall. The goal is to provide earlier indication of respiratory virus activity across the region and complement other public health surveillance tools, added staff.
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