Tatarstan Department of Rospotrebnadzor: Maximum growth in flu and acute upper respiratory infections morbidity expected in February

On January 26, speaking at a briefing at Tatarstan Government House, Head of  the regional department of Rospotrebnadzor (Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing)  Marina Patyashina  reported that  totally 14 cases of influenza A (H1N1) 2009 have been registered in Tatarstan this year, particularly, seven cases among children and four among pregnant women.

"The number of cases of influenza and acute upper respiratory infections is increasing in the world and some regions of Russia. The second week of January has noticed the rise of morbidity in Tatarstan. It is the season rise of morbidity, which was expected. This is a common situation," she explained, adding that immunization coverage significantly affects the intensity of the disease.

She reminded that 45 million of the Russian population is vaccinated, one million people of which are from Tatarstan. "This is enough to protect our citizens from the mass spread of the flu,” she continued.

"We expect that next week the number of cases will increase. The maximum rise in incidence is expected in February. We hope that sickness rate will drop in March," she went on to report.

Speaking about the situation with the disease in the world, Patyashina reported that in early January, nine countries of the European region claimed about widespread flu: Finland, Ireland, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden and Turkey, where pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 takes dominant position.

Tatarstan Minister of Health Care Adel Vafin and Head of the Department of Children's iinfections of Kazan State Medical University and Chief Specialist in Children's Infections Vladimir Anokhin took part in the briefing.