Influenza A Outbreak Declared at Stratford General Hospital
January 07, 2026
An
Influenza A outbreak has been declared at the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance
(HPHA) on the Medicine Unit at its Stratford General Hospital site.
Outbreak
status refers to two or more confirmed Influenza A cases among patients that
could have possibly been acquired in the hospital.
HPHA
is working in collaboration with Huron Perth Public Health to manage the
outbreak. Patients, family/caregivers and team members affected are in the
process of being notified and testing of patients is taking place.
Family
and caregiver presence on the unit has been modified. Patients may only have
one family caregiver/visitor per day with no in-and-out privileges.
Family/caregivers will be required to wear a mask, and may need to wear
additional personal protective equipment including eye protection, gown and
gloves.
As
a reminder, HPHA has a masking policy in place for the entire hospital. When
visiting, you must wear a mask because this proactive step helps reduce the
spread of illness and maintains a safer environment for our patients, families
and staff.
“We
know you’ll likely want to visit a family member or friend in the hospital.
But, if you are sick, your visit may end up doing more harm than good,” says
Erica Jensen, Manager Quality, Patient Safety and Infection Control. “Patients
in the hospital are vulnerable and are at higher risk of developing more severe
illness from the flu, COVID or even a simple cold. If you, or anyone in your
household, are feeling unwell, please do not visit people in the hospital until
you have fully recovered.”