Dr. Susan Detmer, an Associate Professor with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine reported record low numbers of Influenza this year. Although the media tracks the spread of COVID-19, little mention of Influenza this year. 
Dr. Detmer said the major cause of Influenza strain spread in the human population is international airline travel and the reduction in travel has reduced the prevalence of respiratory pathogens. 
“For humans, we’re seeing record low numbers of Influenza infections. They rose a bit over the winter but dropped so low that a season of Influenza wasn’t actually declared in Canada. It did not make the threshold for the minimum number of cases.” 
The types of viruses, the Influenza B viruses are about a third in Canada and the opposite proportion in the United States. It’s been two-thirds Influenza B in the United States. 
The Influenza A’s are mixed, H3N2, H1N1 pandemic strain and some of the other seasonal human Influenzas normally seen but there’s no distinct pattern. 
“There’s not enough detected Influenzas in North America to say that there’s a distinct pattern like we normally have with one strain dominating in the human population.” 
Dr. Detmer said with travel limited between countries and even within countries and all of the social distancing to prevent COVID transmission has a positive effect. All of the respiratory pathogens including Influenza and even the common cold are way down in humans this year. 
Back in December she said things could change quickly but in Canada that did not happen. •
— By Harry Siemens