Venezuela faces type A flu epidemic

1.826 cases of influenza have been detected so far this year in Venezuela, according to the Government, after adding 288 new diagnoses this week, while representatives of the Venezuelan society of infectology (SVI) commented on the epidemic.

Through its last press release, the Ministry of Health said that this year they have studied 3.501 samples, of which 2. 010 were positive of different types of influenza viruses, 1.826 of them, flu.

“With the data of the last bulletin we can presume that in the country there is an epidemic of influenza A,” said Vice President of SVI, Elia Sánchez.

Napoleón Guevara, President of that institution, indicated that the number of cases is stabilizing and that that is due to “a good vaccination policy”. “Also can be because the laboratories that analyze the samples are at the limit of its technical capacity and can not respond to more requests,” said Guevara.

AH1N1 flu has not yet come to Ecuador, but there is a possibility if sanitary measures are not taken. The Head of Pneumology of the Hospital Eugenio Espejo of Quito, Carlos Rosero, explained that the virus is transmitted from person to person through the droplets that are generated when talking, coughing or sneezing and more vulnerable to become infected are children under five and adults over 65 years old.

Before symptoms of fever over 38°, frequent cough, headache, general malaise, best thing to do is to go to the doctor and most importantly not self-medicate.

In 2009 H1N1 flu affected Ecuador. More than 2,200 cases in the country were reported until 2010.