Infectious diseases

As rabies was detected in a dead cow in the eastern province of Tunceli's Hozat district, the entrance and exit of animals to the districts have been prohibited for six months.

Most people assume that a warmer planet will be a buggier, more parasite- and disease-ridden place. There are plenty of examples to justify this fear. Climate change is already expanding the range of ticks that spread Lyme disease; mosquitoes that transmit malaria and Zika; and nocturnal, biting kissing bugs that drive Chagas' disease infections.

Significant growth of flu patients in Burgas. The region is on the brink of an influenza epidemic. An extraordinary meeting of the District Crisis Staff is expected today, which will decide whether to declare a holiday for students.

Almost 90% of the residents of China's third most populous province are infected with COVID-19, AFP reported, citing a senior Chinese official.

It comes a day after China lifted travel restrictions requiring mandatory quarantine after returning from abroad and reports of heightened demand for tickets and congestion at borders.

Schools will open as planned on Monday, the Education Ministry has confirmed, responding to speculation that the start of the new semester after the holiday break may be delayed by the spike in Covid and other respiratory infections among children recorded in recent weeks.

Health authorities on Thursday announced that 141 patients with Covid-19 and three with flu died in the week from December 26 to January 1. 

The Covid-related fatalities had a median age of 84 years, ranging from 2 years to 102 years, the National Organization for Public Health's (EODY) weekly epidemiological report for respiratory infections said.

"Bulgaria is at the beginning of a flu wave, as the H3N2 and H1N1 strains are currently predominant in our country", announced the chief state health inspector Prof. Angel Kunchev.

"At the moment, the rate of hospitalizations is normal. There is no evidence of a severe course," he assured.

According to him, climatic conditions do not lead to a flu wave.

The destructive effect of COVID-19 has gradually disappeared, the number of daily cases has decreased, but the rules of "mask-distance-hygiene" should also be followed to protect against the recently increasing cases of seasonal flu, an expert has stated.

"Influenza isolation is increasing. We had an earlier season and we were finding mostly influenza A H3N2, but over time we are finding more of the other one - H1N1, and now they are even. Cases of flu and acute respiratory illnesses are doubling in two weeks, and this trend will continue in January, peaking in February." This is what Prof.

Flu is back this season, and with the influenza viruses getting even stronger, now is the right time to get vaccination shots, says an expert.