Influenza activity is rising in neighboring countries, and, with temperatures forecast to drop this week, flu cases are expected to increase in the next two weeks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.
Hospitals reported 87,162 visits for flu-like illnesses between Nov. 23 and Saturday, which remained about the same level as the previous week, but nine deaths and 24 cases with serious flu complications were also confirmed last week, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said.
Flu activity reached a peak in late September before declining for eight consecutive weeks, CDC Deputy Director-General and spokesman Lin Min-cheng (林明誠) said.
Photo: CNA
“We believe that the number [of weekly cases] would not continue to decline, and as temperatures drop this week, the number is expected to gradually increase in the next two weeks,” he said.
“A significant increase in cases is expected late this month and would reach a peak at about Lunar New Year” in February next year, he added.
Flu activity has been rising in Japan, South Korea and China, as well as European countries and Canada, Guo said.
One of the flu-related deaths confirmed last week was a five-year-old girl, who is the youngest to die this flu season, which started on Oct. 1, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said.
The girl did not have underlying health conditions, but was not vaccinated against the flu, he said.
She began experiencing symptoms, including stomachache and constipation, in late October, but returned home after seeking medical attention, he said.
However, she began having a fever and stomach pain the next day and was brought to an emergency room, where she tested positive for influenza A, Lin Yung-ching said, adding that she later developed vomiting, convulsions, altered consciousness and pneumonia in both lungs.
The doctor determined the girl’s condition as flu infection with severe complications, including encephalitis and myocarditis, he said.
She was immediately admitted to an intensive care unit, but died of acute necrotizing encephalopathy and cardiovascular failure after two weeks of hospitalization, he said.
Meanwhile, the centers said that as enterovirus activity is still in the epidemic phase, caregivers of infected young children should especially remain vigilant and seek medical attention immediately if signs of severe illness occur.
Hospitals reported 11,913 visits for enterovirus infection last week, which also remains about the same as the previous week, Guo said.
The prevalence of echovirus 11, which caused several severe cases in newborns this year, has declined, and the dominant strains in the past few weeks were Coxsackie A viruses, with children younger than five prone to develop severe illness, Lin Yung-ching said.
He reminded caregivers of young children to watch for signs of severe illness, including sleepiness, unconsciousness, lethargy, weakness or numbness in the limbs, convulsion, persistent vomiting, shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat, and that when the symptoms occur, they should immediately seek medical attention.
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