Flu Infections Reach New High

The Republic of Ireland's overall influenza rate has reached the highest ever seen since surveillance began in 2000, with a doubling of cases this week.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said at yesterday afternoon's press briefing in Government Buildings that hospitals will be able to cope with the rise in influenza cases, with escalation policies in place. He said that more beds could be commissioned if they were needed.

Dr Holohan told the briefing that he expects the increase in cases to go on for another week or two.

Also present at the press conference were Dr Kevin Kelleher, Assistant National Director of Population Health in the HSE, and Dr Derval Igoe of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre of the HSE.

Dr Igoe stated that there had been two more deaths, one caused by swine flu and one by Influenza B, and that both had underlying medical conditions.

These two deaths bring to 28 the number of deaths from swine flu in the Republic.

In the past week, over 9,000 new cases have been diagnosed. 393 people have been hospitalised with the disease this season, with 42 patients remaining in intensive care.

Across the border, NI's Public Health Agency (PHA) has revealed that 17 people have now died from swine flu.

In its latest flu bulletin published on Thursday, the PHA confirmed that in the first week of January, there was 204 new laboratory confirmed cases of swine flu in Northern Ireland compared to 200 in the last week of December 2010.

It said the figures showed that although flu was continuing to circulate in the community, "the rate of increase in new confirmed cases is slowing".

(BMcC/GK)