Moldova is below flu epidemic level

The Health Ministry has said that the epidemiological situation because of flu and acute respiratory infections is below the epidemic level. Twelve cases of flu have been so far confirmed by laboratory tests, including five cases of A (H1N1) flu, Info-Prim Neo reports. In an extraordinary meeting of the National Commission for Public Health on January 28, Deputy Health Minister Octavian Grama said that six of the 12 confirmed cases were caused by the flu virus of type B, four cases by the A (H1N1) virus, including three children and a grownup, one case by the A (H1N1) and B viruses, while one case by the A (H3N2) virus. The man from Petresti, Ungheni, who was diagnosed with A (H1N1) flu, is in an extremely serious condition. He is now in the reanimatology section of the National Clinical Hospital. There were identified 27 persons who had been in contact with the man. Ten of them are suspected of having flu. Quarantine was instituted in the villages Petresti, Semeni, and Toderesti of Ungheni district. Constantin Spanu, vice director of the National Public Health Center, said that nobody can say for sure that there will be an epidemic. “Given the trend we witness and the speed at which the number of respiratory infections increases, we may reach an epidemic level. But we have all the infections together here. We may not exceed the multiannual indicators typical for seasonal flu. According to my information, most probably we will not experience a flu pandemic,” he stated. As many as 1,363 cases of flu have been recorded in Ukraine. Of them, 1,151 case were of type A (H1N1). In Romania, there were recorded 15 cases of flu.