N.B. not prepared for swine flu pandemic: Moncton microbiologist

New Brunswick is not ready to cope with a swine flu pandemic due to a lack of resources and planning, according to a Moncton microbiologist.

No confirmed cases of the virus have been reported in the province, although a handful of samples from New Brunswick are being tested.

"The shortcoming has been into the planning with the minister of health to provide us with necessary resources," said Dr. Richard Garceau, a microbiologist with the Dr. Georges-L. Dumont Regional Hospital in Moncton.

"This should have been done two, three, four, five years ago. And we have asked repeatedly to get a clear mandate on this and funding, but we never got any answer."

'We have enough staff to work during daytime Monday to Friday. But if this is a true pandemic, I'll exhaust my staff within two-three weeks if this is a true, full-blown pandemic.' — Richard Garceau, microbiologist

He said his microbiology laboratory won't be able to handle an increased caseload if there is a full-blown pandemic.

"[We] have the equipment, we have enough staff. But we don't have enough staff to work on two shifts a day, seven days a week. That's what we need, that's not what we have," he said.

"We have enough staff to work during daytime Monday to Friday. But if this is a true pandemic, I'll exhaust my staff within two-three weeks if this is a true, full-blown pandemic."

Dr. Eilish Cleary, the chief medical officer of health in New Brunswick, is downplaying Garceau's concerns that the province cannot handle a pandemic flu outbreak. She said on Tuesday morning that the province is aware of the extra needs that a pandemic would entail and is working with laboratories to see that those demands are met.

"In fact there has been a recent review of the laboratory capacity looking to see exactly what is needed," Cleary said.

"I do know Dr. Garceau, he is a highly skilled and passionate individual, he wants to do the best he can for his patients — and we all do — and so we are working with him to try and ensure that he has what he needs to do his work."

N.B. samples sent to Winnipeg

The province has shipped an undisclosed number of samples to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg for testing for swine flu.

Cleary told reporters on Monday that sending samples to Winnipeg is being done as a precaution.

The province's public health office says there is no reason to go to a doctor unless you have flu-like symptoms and have either been in Mexico or in contact with people who have been in Mexico in the past 10 days.

John Bowles and his wife Ellen spent a week in Mexico at the beginning of the month. Since news of the swine flu broke, he said, his family and friends are calling him and worrying about his health.

"I've had probably the majority of the family call me asking if I'm feeling sick or under the weather," he said.

Bowles said he and his wife are keeping an eye out for flu-like symptoms, but they're not too worried about developing the illness.

There have been six confirmed cases of swine flu in Canada since the outbreak was first reported in Mexico. All six people — four in Nova Scotia and two in B.C. — had a mild form of the illness and have recovered.

Medical authorities in Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan are also investigating suspected swine flu cases.