An influenza epidemic is ' occurring among young persons. in almost every corner. of. the province, Health Minister Bob Mc- .CleHand said last week. The -. ministry's virology - laboratory in Vancouver has. established that the virus is a Russian ‘strain that was last epidemic: in B.C. between: 1947 and 1956. This means persons. born-since then — people .22 years or younger -- are highly susceptible, said the Minister. | _ “School absentteism is running up to 50 per cent in a few areas and virtually every part.of the province is reporting-an outbreak of the. disease,” said McClelland. Symptoms range from “acute fever, headache, and vomiting, to a mild attack involving perhaps only a couph and nausea. The best advice is to stay at home, treat the symptoms, and see a doctor if the condition _worsens, explained the Minister. The current epidemic is exceedingly interesting from - a scientific view because it was generally assumed by virologists that. a_ strain of influenza virus that once moved through a particular population would not return. “Our virology staff has gone into their freezers, where they have kept blood semples. from the 1947-56 Russian flu epidemic, and the same virus is being found in blood samples now being taken from affected British Columbians,” said Mc- Clelland. After the Russian strain subsided in 1956, the hext pandemic involved the Asian Strain, and after that came the Victoria. and Texas Strains. , “The virus now appearing in B.C. was found in Russia about 18 months ago,” said McClelland. Our epidemiologists at that time suspected it might move around the world and _ in- cluded it as one of the three Strains in the vaccine we offered to persons with chronic diseases last fall.” Inflation worsens Inflation surged onward in Canada by nine per cent in Canada last year, according to Statistics Canada - a full percentage point ahead of the figure for 1977. At the close of 1978, the Consumer Price Index stood at 181.3, meaning that goods which cost $100 in 1971 now cost more than $18}. The biggest increase is blaméd on higher food prices, with increases in the price of homes, furniture, appliances, gas and clothing contributing significantly. However, price jumps in milk, beef and process fruit which took cffect in November were offset by reductions in the cost of fresh fruit, vegetables and chicken in December. Page 12, January 21, 1979 - Sunday News | » Introducing an entirely new sports coupe with | real road feel, built in North America with the advanced features you want! 8 windows for all direction visibility Front wheeldrve Column mounted conv \ for gutsy traction = Bositive rack & pinion Fast action front disc Fold down rear seat Etectric rear Getroster Dent resistant soft front & rear Sure-tooted New corrosion radial tires protection Contour bucket seats Of all North American built. 3