The number of new influenza patients in Japan remained above the warning level of 30 per medical institution last week, the health ministry said Friday. New flu cases reported by 3,000 regularly monitored hospitals and clinics across the country stood at 32.73 on average in the week through Sunday.
The Japanese government said Friday the average number of influenza patients at designated medical institutions nationwide has hit warning levels at the fastest pace in 10 years, with some experts pointing to the rising number of inbound tourists as one of the likely factors for the epidemic’s earlier-than-usual spread. Across roughly 3,000 institutions, 145,526 patients were reported during the week from Nov. 10 to Sunday, averaging 37.73 people per facility and surpassing the warning level of 30, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
Influenza outbreaks have started in Japan in late September, earlier than usual, partly because of increases in cross-border travel. According to the health ministry, the number of flu patients reported by regularly monitored medical institutions across the country in the week to Oct. 26 stood at 6.29 per facility. By prefecture, Okinawa, southernmost Japan, topped the list, with 19.40, followed by three neighboring Tokyo–Kanagawa, with 11.88, Chiba, with 11.82, and Saitama, with 11.73.
Japanese Prince Hisahito, the only son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko had a fever and left his university early on Monday, and was diagnosed with the flu on Tuesday. He has since been resting at the Akasaka Estate. The prince’s fever has subsided.
Japan has entered the influenza season nationwide, marking the second-earliest beginning in the past 20 years, the health ministry said Friday. The number of flu patients reported from some 3,000 regularly monitored medical institutions across the country stood at 1.04 per institution in the week through Sunday 5th October.
Japan has entered the influenza season nationwide, marking the second-earliest beginning in the past 20 years, the health ministry said Friday. The number of flu patients reported from some 3,000 regularly monitored medical institutions across the country stood at 1.04 per institution in the week through Sunday.
As influenza and COVID-19 infections spread, facilities for people with disabilities are also struggling to respond. Facilities for people with severe intellectual disabilities have found it difficult to take precautions, and there have been cases of infections spreading among users and staff. At a residential facility for people with disabilities in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, is home to 40 people, including those with severe intellectual disabilities. The Director of the Saitama facility, Takahashi Minoru said: “We took sufficient precautions, but the infection spread so quickly that we’ve come to realize how contagious it is. Some of our users have epilepsy, and a high fever can lead to severe seizures. we would be grateful for any support.”
As influenza and COVID-19 infections spread, facilities for people with disabilities are also struggling to respond. Facilities for people with severe intellectual disabilities have found it difficult to take precautions, and there have been cases of infections spreading among users and staff.
A series of avian influenza outbreaks has hit poultry farms in the central Japan prefecture of Aichi, where the prefectural government announced newly confirmed infections for the second straight day Friday. The prefecture confirmed infections of highly pathogenic bird flu at two poultry farms in the city of Tokoname. About 177,000 laying hens raised at the two locations will be culled.
The number of influenza patients reported at designated medical institutions across Japan at the end of the year hit the highest level since comparable data became available in 1999, the Japanese government said Friday. It marked the 10th consecutive week of increase and a 1.51-fold rise from the week prior, and there were shortages of some of the medications used to treat influenza.
Barrier Free Japan