About FluWatch

FluWatch, Canada's national influenza surveillance system, is coordinated through the Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control at the Public Health Agency of Canada.

The program, which began in 1996, provides a national picture of influenza activity and has the following primary objectives:

• early detection of influenza activity in Canada;
• provision of timely and up-to-date information on influenza activity in Canada and abroad to professionals as well as the public;
• monitoring of circulating strains of influenza virus, including new sub-types and antiviral resistance;
• contribution of virological surveillance information to the World Health Organization (WHO) to assist with decision-making for the following season's vaccine components.

FluWatch Indicators

Data and information from various sources are collected in order to meet the objectives of the FluWatch program. These indicators of influenza activity are reported year round on a weekly basis to the FluWatch program and include:

• laboratory-based influenza and other respiratory virus detections from sentinel laboratories across Canada;
• strain identification and antiviral resistance for circulating influenza viruses from the National Microbiology Laboratory;
• influenza-like illness (ILI) primary care consultation rates from sentinel practitioners across Canada;
• regional influenza activity levels as assigned by provincial and territorial FluWatch representatives;
• paediatric influenza-associated hospital admissions and mortality data through the Immunization Monitoring Program ACTive (IMPACT)*.

(*Only reported to FluWatch during the influenza season.)

FluWatch Reports

FluWatch disseminates information through weekly reports during the active influenza season and biweekly reports during the low season (mid-May to September). Reports are published on Fridays and are available to health professionals and the public through a variety of media, including fax, e-mail and this Web site.

FluWatch Partners

Influenza surveillance is a collaborative effort between provincial and territorial ministries of health, participating laboratories, The College of Family Physicians of Canada-National Research System (NaReS), sentinel practitioners, tertiary care paediatric hospitals through the IMPACT program, the National Microbiology Laboratory and the Immunization and Respiratory Infections Division (IRID) at the Public Health Agency of Canada.