Brussels, 24/01/2008 (Agence Europe) - There has been a rapid upsurge of flu this winter in the European Union over the last few days. The epidemic is now affecting 13 countries of the Union (Austria, Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Greece and the United Kingdom and is gradually spreading to the north and north east of Europe, indicates the European Influenza Surveillance Scheme (EISS) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The main strain of the virus in circulation this year (H1), which has not been the prevailing kind of virus since 2001. Although, during the last fifteen years, the rates of infection have been higher in young children, the virus is expected to affect the adult population of working age who now do not benefit from natural immunity to this strain of the virus. According to Professor Koos van der Velden, although 70% of people seeking treatment for flu are usually children aged under 14, health services will have to prepare for a significant rise in the number of adults.
The ECDC points out that flu is not a disease that should be taken lightly. The Stockholm based centre headed by Zsuzsanna Jakab from Hungary, stated that seasonal influenza is responsible for between 40,000 and 220, 000 deaths in Europe every year, depending on the severity of the epidemic. Consequently, the ECDC is recommending that: 1) where possible, people infected with influenza should avoid close contact with others; 2) basic hygiene measures such as hand-washing are also effective in reducing the spread of influenza; 3) people in high risk groups (older people, people with chronic conditions such as heart disease or lung disease, immune compromised people) should get vaccinated against influenza, if they have not already done so; 4) Other measures include antiviral medications, which can be used according to national protocols to prevent infection or reduce the severity and duration of symptoms. (O.J)