New Delhi, October 11 (IANS). A large population of Japan is vulnerable to flu. According to local media reports, more than 4,030 people across the country are suffering from it.
Flu has hit the country about a month earlier than last year. Japan Today quoted the Health Ministry as saying that this is the second time in 20 years that the weather changed prematurely and people became vulnerable to it.
According to the report, “Nearly 3,000 hospitals across the country have reported a total of 4,030 patients suffering from the flu.” Okinawa Prefecture reported the highest number of patients per hospital, followed by Tokyo and Kagoshima.
The country’s Health Ministry reported that the number of cases has crossed the epidemic limit. Today an average of 1.04 patients are admitted per institution.
More than 100 schools, kindergartens and childcare centers have been closed due to the spread of infection among children.
Flu season in Japan usually lasts from December to March. The previous season began in early November and peaked in late December, after which it was considered over in April.
In view of the rising cases, the ministry has urged the general public to exercise caution and follow measures such as washing hands and wearing masks.
Although the type of the virus is not yet known, it still recommends vaccination for young children, the elderly and anyone with any other health problem.
“Flu outbreaks have started very early this year, but in the changing global environment, it may become a common situation,” Yoko Tsukamoto, a professor at Hokkaido University of Health Sciences, told the South China Morning Post.
Tsukamoto further said that global travel and movement of large numbers of people could increase the virus’s ability to adapt to new conditions.
“We are seeing people in Japan and around the world moving from one place to another. Infected people are moving from one place to another and carrying the virus with them. This is another reason for it to adapt to its new environment,” Tsukamoto told the Post.
He further said that reports of early arrival of flu are also being received from other countries.
–IANS
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