Influenza activity in Latvia continues to decline and has returned to interseasonal levels, reported the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC).
Last week, in the monitoring practices of family doctors, cases of influenza were registered in two out of ten monitoring regions. In Jelgava, four cases of influenza were confirmed, which amounts to 130.3 per 100,000 residents, while in Liepaja, there was one case, or 29 per 100,000 residents.
In the National Microbiological Reference Laboratory, 249 clinical samples were tested for the influenza virus last week, and in four of them (1.6%), influenza type A viruses were confirmed. The previous week, this figure was 2.6%.
At the same time, the number of visits to outpatient facilities for other acute upper respiratory infections increased by 12% over the week, reaching 983.7 cases per 100,000 residents. The previous week recorded 878.6 cases. The CDC notes that the incidence of these infections does not exceed the average level of the last five seasons.
Higher incidence of other upper respiratory infections, as in previous seasons, is observed in children under 14 years old, especially in children under four years old.
Last week, the incidence of pneumonia decreased in all age groups, amounting to 23 cases per 100,000 residents compared to 36.7 the week before. The highest rates remain in children under four years old (66.7) and in children aged 5-14 years (64).
Last week, 140 patients with severe acute respiratory infections were hospitalized, which is fewer than the week before. These patients accounted for 3.3% of all hospitalized (previously 4.2%).
Of the tested patients with severe infections, 4.3% had influenza, and 1.1% were diagnosed with Covid-19.
Last week, one case of death was registered for a patient with confirmed influenza type A. Since the beginning of the season, a total of 51 deaths have been recorded, with 46 of the deceased patients (90.2%) not vaccinated against influenza. Almost all of the deceased had chronic diseases.
