Via the Hong Kong government website: HK enters flu season. Excerpt:
The Centre for Health Protection today appealed to the public to stay vigilant against seasonal influenza as the latest surveillance data shows there has been an increase in local flu activity, signaling that Hong Kong is entering the winter influenza season.
The number of influenza-like illness outbreaks at institutions and schools increased from zero in the week ending January 5 to eight in the week ending February 2, affecting 141 people.
The weekly consultation rates among general outpatient clinics increased from 1.9 in the week ending January 5 to 4.9 in the week ending January 26.
The corresponding rates among private doctors increased from 34.2 in the week ending January 5 to 43.6 in the week ending January 26.
The weekly average rate for the syndrome group under Accident & Emergency Departments Communicable Diseases Syndromic Surveillance also increased from 161.2 in the week ending January 5 to 182.9 in the week ending February 2.
The circulating influenza viruses detected are mainly influenza A (H1N1)2009 (54.9%), and influenza A (H3N2) (42.1%), followed by influenza B (3%).
