Officials deny outbreak of flu epidemic in Chisinau

There is no flu epidemic in Chisinau despite circulating rumors, the chief sanitary doctor of Chisinau Iurie Panzaru said. At Monday’s meeting of the Chisinau City Hall, he said that the number of flu cases is lower than the previous years, Info-Prim Neo reports. “A number of 134 cases of flu have been recorded since the start of this year, as against 1,500 in 2007. Also, there have been reported 18,000 cases of acute viral infections, as opposed to 24,000-30,000 cases the previous years,” Panzaru said. According to the official, the high number of patients in the Chisinau hospitals is explained by the higher quality of the medical services and by the fact that the people go to the doctor more often. “None of the vaccinated persons got flu as it is rumored,” Iurie Panzaru said. Yet, the head of the Health Division Mihai Moldovanu said that the number of calls to the emergency service had increased last week. Over 960 cases were acute viral infections in children and about 500 cases – viral infections in grownups.