A hastily organized count is underway to determine whether B.C. has enough of a specialized type of ventilator that may be critical to treating swine flu patients this fall when the pandemic is expected to intensify.

The advanced machines, known as oscillatory ventilators, are rarely used and typically in short supply at hospitals.

But infectious disease experts in Canada say victims here are tending to be younger and sicker than in the U.S. and more likely to require specialized ventilators to assist with breathing.

Some swine flu patients in eastern Canada are remaining on the machines for weeks, fanning fears that there may not be enough of the oscillatory ventilators if much larger numbers of people here come down with the H1N1 virus in the fall and winter.

Other provinces are now scrambling to buy more ventilators.

A B.C. health ministry official said Thursday the province has a total of 976 ventilators – including ones in pediatric wards – but doesn't yet know how many of them are the oscillatory type.

A quick inventory is underway to find out, he said, adding no decisions have yet been made on whether B.C. will try to obtain more.

The federal government is moving to more than triple its stockpile of additional ventilators it can provide provinces. The machines cost about $10,000 each.

Oscillatory ventilators deliver much more frequent, shallower breaths and reduce the chances of lung injury in patients who need to be on ventilation for extended periods.

The Fraser Health Authority referred questions about its stock of ventilators to Victoria.

Nearly half of the laboratory-confirmed cases of swine flu in B.C. are in the Fraser Health region.

B.C. has had 303 confirmed cases as of July 6.

Of those, 148 are in Fraser Health, 81 are in the Vancouver Coastal region, 35 are on Vancouver Island, 31 are in the North and eight are in the Interior.

Only a handful of B.C. patients have required hospitalization so far and there have been no deaths.

Swine flu has been more severe in several other provinces.

Across Canada, there have been 9,429 lab-confirmed H1N1 cases, 878 hospitalizations and 37 deaths.

Health officials continue to warn residents to remain vigilant about hygiene to prevent the spread of the virus.

World Health Organization officials declared the swine flu a global pandemic last month on the basis it is spreading from person-to-person in multiple countries.

While the illness has so far been mild for many people, health officials remain concerned that the H1N1 virus could mutate or change its behaviour and prove more deadly when the next flu season arrives.

A vaccine is being prepared but isn't expected to be ready before the start of flu season.