Influenza

Eight people have died following complications of a flu infection in the last ten days in Greece.

24 people are hospitalized in Intensive Care Units. Most of the patients have other health problems.

The incidence rate is expected to remain high in the coming weeks, which is not uncommon for the season.

Japan has confirmed the first case of infection from the new coronavirus that been reported in China. This was announced on Thursday at a press conference in Tokyo by a representative of the Ministry of Health.

Medical experts have called on people to observe caution in preventing the spread of flu after official figures on Wednesday pointed to seven deaths over the past week. 

Only one death had been recorded this flu season, in the first week of January. 

The number of hospital emergency room visits increased by 10 percent compared with the same period last year, even though the cases of seasonal upper respiratory tract infections were similar to previous years, according to the Ministry of Health.

The peak of the disease is expected to be reached by the end of the month.

The first death due to the flu has been reported in Croatia. 878 are the officially registered patients, according to BGNES.

The infectious disease clinic reported the death.

There are four more deaths reported, but health authorities have not yet reported whether they were caused by the flu.

Health experts' warnings over the dangers associated with the flu virus this winter appear to have bolstered demand among the Greek population this year, figures show. About 2,350,000 vaccines have already been distributed across the country and an extra 500,000 doses are on their way to help meet the unprecedented demand for shots. [EPA]

Japan has lifted the temporary ban on the import of Bulgarian poultry meat, Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) reports.

Imports of poultry meat and meat products are now authorized.

The ban was imposed at the end of 2017 due to the worsening epizootic situation in relation to the disease Highly pathogenic avian influenza in Bulgaria. 

Free influenza vaccines for people over 65 will be available in the second half of October. This was announced by the state health inspector Dr. Angel Kunchev in the studio of BNT's Morning Block. Four strains of the virus will attack us this winter. Our country is one of the last places in Europe in the number of vaccines purchased.

More than 1,000 people died from influenza-related causes last flu season, experts say, adding that about 42 percent of those who were hospitalized with flu-related complications would have fought off the virus if they had been vaccinated.

Greek authorities are urging vulnerable members of the population, such as the elderly and people suffering from chronic illnesses, to get vaccinated against potent strains of the flu expected this winter.
Health experts say that since flu outbreaks usually start in mid-December, it's best to get the flu shot in October or November.