Another 10 cases of H1N1 flu have been confirmed in British Columbia, bringing the total number of cases to 39 across the province.
British Columbia's Centre for Disease Control reports two people -- one in the Lower Mainland and another in the Interior -- were hospitalized because of the virus Sunday.
One stayed overnight but the other was sent home. Both are recovering and the CDC says all swine flu cases in the province are still relatively minor.
"I'm in part reassured that the pattern has not been the same as was initially reported out of Mexico, milder than reported out of Mexico, bearing in mind this is influenza virus so it's still quite a nasty illness," Dr. Danuta Skowronski said.
Skowronski said people who have the H1N1 virus have symptoms similar to the typical flu, which up to 20 per cent of the population gets during a flu season.
But while the incubation period for the seasonal flu is about two days, it's up to seven days for the H1N1 virus, she said, adding the latter isn't as transmissible as existing viruses.
"Thirty-nine confirmed cases doesn't seem like a lot to me," she said, considering the fact that thousands of people across the province get the flu every season.
Three of the 10 new cases announced Monday are students at Decker Lake Elementary School near Burns Lake. The school was closed on Friday as a precautionary measure while the Northern Health Authority investigated.
Officials are now trying to determine whether the students recently returned from Mexico, or have relatives that have.
Beairsto Elementary School in the North Okanagan remains closed after a student tested positive for the so-called swine flu on Thursday. That student is said to have only a mild case and is at home recovering.
A Killarney Secondary School student tested positive for the virus on Friday, but school officials say the facility will remain open because the risk to students is very low.
So far, all of the cases of H1N1 in B.C. are mild.
Alberta health authorities recorded the country's first severe case of swine flu after a young Edmonton girl tested positive Monday.
"Up until now, we have been reporting that all confirmed cases in Canada have been relatively mild, and that all have made a full recovery. However, the news of this first severe case, although disconcerting, is not surprising, and it does not change the course of action that we're taking," Dr. David Butler-Jones, Canada's chief public health officer, said at a press conference.
Medical tests are still being run on the girl, but officials say she is under care and "doing well."
Health authorities wouldn't say if the girl's case is potentially life-threatening.
So far, there has been no connection to any Mexican travel in the girl's family, said Dr. Gerry Predy from Alberta Health Services.
The toll of cases nationwide has now reached 140.
With files from The Canadian Press
