Japan Enters Flu Season

December 14, 2018

Tokyo--Japan has entered the influenza season, the health ministry said Friday.

The timing of the full season start was almost the same as in usual years, according to the ministry.

Some 5,000 regularly monitored medical institutions had a total of 8,438 flu patients in the week to Sunday. The number of patients per institution stood at 1.7, above the 1.0 threshold for the beginning of flu season, the ministry said.

Among Japan's 47 prefectures, the number of patients per medical institution was the highest in Kagawa, at 4.0, followed by Hokkaido, at 3.96, Aichi, at 3.43, Wakayama, at 2.90, and Kagoshima, at 2.76.

Based on the survey, the total number of influenza patients at medical institutions across the country in the week is estimated at some 63,000, up by some 29,000 from the preceding week. Of the flu viruses detected in patients in the last five weeks, type A, which spread globally as a new type in 2009, accounted for the largest share, followed by the type-A Hong Kong strain and type B.

While noting that no shortage of flu vaccines will occur this season if they are used appropriately, the ministry has called on people. Jiji Press