Flu season to hit plateau soon before waning in mid-July: CDC

Taipei, July 2 (CNA) The current flu season in Taiwan is set to hit a plateau after having recently peaked and is forecast to start alleviating in mid-July, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

At a news conference on Tuesday, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳) said the number of influenza-like cases has been increasing, with more than 101,000 visits to emergency and outpatient departments over the week ending June 29.

She said that based on lab figures from the last month, the A virus H1N1 was the dominant strain responsible for the majority of flu cases across the country.

Between June 25 and July 1, 68 cases of people suffering serious illness from flu-related complications were reported, with patients aged between 9 and over 90.

In addition, there were 16 deaths recorded during the same week, Lee said.

According to Lee, 1,212 cases with serious complications triggered by flu have been reported in the current Oct. 1-July 1 flu season.

The 16 fatalities included a three-year-old girl from southern Taiwan, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said.

The girl had no underlying conditions and was vaccinated against seasonal flu in October, according to Lin.

She developed a cough and a runny nose in mid-June and received treatment at a clinic. However, her coughing worsened a week later and she had a fever of 39 degrees Celsius. She was taken to an emergency room the next day.

The girl returned home after appearing to improve, but deteriorated quickly, lost her appetite, experienced a high fever, began convulsing, and fell unconscious.

She was rushed to the hospital again, Lin said, adding that the girl tested positive for influenza A and was treated in intensive care, but died the next day from flu-induced encephalitis and myocarditis.

According to the CDC physician, pneumonia is the most common type of complication caused by flu. The girl's case was rare as it involved two complications, he said.