Taiwan CDC expects flu cases to peak in mid-September

Taipei, Aug. 11 (CNA) Influenza is expected to peak in mid-September after flu-related outpatient and emergency room visits accounted for 10.5 percent of all visits last week, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Tuesday.

The number of outpatient and emergency room visits has risen gradually over the past four weeks following an uptick in early July, bringing the rate close to the epidemic threshold, CDC spokesperson Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said at a news briefing.

Most of the patients were young children and people aged 65 and older, Lin said.

There has also been a simultaneous increase in upper respiratory tract infection clusters, with influenza-positive clusters predominantly testing positive for Type A and mainly concentrated in densely populated areas, he said.

Recent community virus surveillance shows that Type A (H1N1) is the most common strain, accounting for 57 percent of influenza virus cases detected cases, he added.

According to CDC data, un-vaccinated people aged 65 and older with chronic diseases accounted for the majority of severe cases and deaths.

The resumption of classes in September is expected to accelerate transmission, leading the CDC to project that influenza might peak in mid-September, Lin said.

Government-funded flu medication is available at about 4,000 contracted clinics and hospitals nationwide, Lin said, urging people with symptoms to seek prompt medical attention.