The AH1N1 virus has claimed five lives in the last week; None of the victims were vaccinated

The AH1N1 virus has claimed five lives in the last week; None of the victims were vaccinated

According to data received from the administrative territories in the week of February 11 to 17, 2019, the morbidity from acute infections of the upper respiratory tract was 447.27 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, exceeding the epidemic threshold with a decrease of 12.4 % compared to the previous week.

In the nominated week, 294 cases of seasonal influenza were recorded, including 43 laboratory-confirmed cases, 15,882 cases of acute upper respiratory tract infections (IACRS) and 589 cases of severe acute respiratory infections (SARI).

The proportion of SARI cases constituted 5.2% of all hospitalizations, regardless of the cause, in territorial public medical institutions. People diagnosed with influenza received treatment according to national clinical protocols.

Likewise, during the reference period, in the virological laboratory of the National Public Health Agency, 77 samples were investigated to detect the presence of influenza and non-influenza viruses, by molecular biological method. 43 samples were positive for influenza viruses (35-A (H1N1) pdm09 and 8-A (H3N2)) and one sample was positive for respiratory viruses other than influenza.

During this period, seven cases of death were registered, of which five were confirmed with the influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 virus, five men and two women, between 25 and 70 years old, from Chisinau, Ungheni, Nisporeni, Cimislia, Anenii Noi and Taraclia. . None of those who died were vaccinated against seasonal flu.

We report that, between October 1, 2018 and February 17, 2019, there were 1,549 cases of influenza, 191,651 cases of IACRS and 9,423 cases of SARI. At the same time, 27 deaths were registered, of which 25 were laboratory confirmed with the influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 virus.