The flu is advancing in Europe, increased number of cases in Greece

By Panagiota Karlatira

The flu caused by H1N1 is advancing in Europe and according to the European Center for Decease Prevention and Control (ECDC), its activity is already high in Britain, Ireland and Denmark and increasing in Belgium, France, Estonia, Northern Ireland, Spain and Portugal, and as it seems in the relevant map, our country is characterised by increasing numbers too.

The Greek Centre for Control and Prevention of Diseases (KEELPNO) announced that «from the data by both the clinical and laboratory side of the epidemiological surveillance and the evidence that shows clusters of flu-like symptoms, it seems that our country is probably at the stage of this year's seasonal flu wave».
 
It came from our islands
As protothema.gr revealed, tens of cases from our islands were submitted last week, four of which were positive for the swine flue virus type A (H1N1).

Yesterday's weekly epidemiological surveillance report indicates that clusters have been recorded in Kimolos and Limnos (SS inadvertently in the publication of protothema.gr, Kalymnos was reported instead of Limnos).

Specifically, it is about 20 cases of respiratory infection in residents of the island, aged 16 to 51, with symptoms of influenza like syndrome before New Year’s, but which certainly did not require hospitalization.

But in the last week the cases in Limnos have been increasing too. As KEELPNO says, there is a minor cluster of respiratory infections in children aged 9-14 with a conjunction of mild flu-like symptoms.
 
The dominant subtype H1N1 of the A flu

The good weather conditions have delayed the start of the seasonal flu in our country. However, experts estimate that the return of the students to schools and the travelers from Europe will ignite the appearance of flu in Greece.
This year’s seasonal flu seems to be dominated by the pandemic strain A (H1N1). Until January 2, 2011, in the two Centres for Flu Report, 71 cases were submitted, of which 5 were positive for the H1N1 virus and only one for the subtype A (H3N2).
 
The anti-flu vaccination as a weapon

Despite the outbreak of the pandemic H1N1 strain, scientists are being reassuring, as the «accountable» strain is included in the flu vaccine for this year. It is essential, they stress, to exploit the advantage of the vaccine, especially for chronic sufferers who prove to be the easy victims, as they run the greatest risk from possible complications.