The official start of the flu season is expected to arrive any day now, according to federal health authorities.

Latest data on flu trends found that the positive case rate reached 6.8 percent, which is higher than the seasonal rate of 5 percent.

"If the positive percentage remains above this threshold next week, the start of the flu season will be declared nationally," according to the latest FluWatch report from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

The report, released early last week, specifically looked at the flu spread rate in the community for week 46 of 2023, from November 12 to 18. During that week, a total of 1849 flu cases were reported to the primary health care center. The vast majority of them were influenza type A cases.

Between the end of August and November 18, a total of 51 laboratory-confirmed flu outbreaks were reported, with 10 reported in the latest week of data alone.

Also, in the same 11-week period, 332 flu-related hospital admissions were reported across Canada by participating provinces and territories, with 46 percent of these hospitalizations among adults aged 65 and over. Eleven flu-related deaths have been reported since the end of August.

All 51 flu outbreaks were caused by influenza A, although one outbreak involved mixed cases with the less common influenza B. Of the 51 outbreaks, 32 occurred in long-term care facilities.

Another sign indicating that the official flu season is approaching is the increasing number of regions reporting flu activity, both in terms of number and intensity.

Also in week 46, six provinces reported local flu activity, while Alberta reported widespread activity, mostly in the northern part of the province.

That week also saw 90 flu-related hospital admissions, representing more than one-quarter of total hospitalizations since the end of August.

The report also noted that about 2% of all visits to healthcare specialists during that week were due to influenza-like illnesses, although it added that fewer people are now collecting this data.

FluWatch also assessed the prevalence of certain symptoms through volunteer participants. In week 46, over 9,000 Canadians contributed this information to FluWatchers, with 1.9 percent reporting cough and fever symptoms. Of those who reported cough and fever, five consulted a healthcare professional, and 81 percent reported absence from work or school due to their illness.

The report pointed out that cough and fever symptoms occur across various respiratory diseases, including COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus, and colds, and measuring these symptoms helps give an idea of the spread of respiratory illnesses at a time when multiple viruses are active.

A graph depicting the curve of previous flu seasons showed that current rates are declining compared to the average increase expected at this time of year. Historically, the flu season can occur anytime from late October to late May.

Last year, Canada experienced an early peak flu season, with the positivity rate exceeding 20 percent by early December and then declining over the following weeks.