Four Toronto Seniors Die from Mystery Illness

Toronto (Canada):
Health officials in Toronto are trying to figure out what killed four seniors and struck dozens of residents with a "typical respiratory illness" at a nursing home.
A Toronto public health expert told reporters Saturday that 68 residents and five employees at Seven Oaks home for the Aged in the city's east end were affected by an outbreak of an unidentified respiratory illness.
Nursing staff began noticing residents with flu like symptoms last Tuesday.
Toronto public health chief Dr. Barbara Yaffe said 15 of them were admitted to hospital Friday night. Three of the victims died at the home, with the fourth dying in hospital.
All of the patients had pre-existing medical conditions and two were in their mid-90s. The other two victims were in their late 70s and 50s.
Officials said they haven't found the source of the "typical viral illness," but stressed that so far it hasn't been detected outside the facility.
"We know from testing that it's not influenza, we know that this is not SARS, we know this is not avian influenza," said infectious disease consultant Dr. Alison McGeer.
Oct. 02, 2005
CTV.ca News Staff