Over 2,000 hospitalized since flu outbreak in Almaty

ALMATY. KAZINFORM «This year flu and acute respiratory viral infection incidence rates exceeded the last year figures,» head of the sanitary and epidemiological control department of Almaty city Zhandarbek Bekshin told a briefing.

«This year flu and acute respiratory viral infection incidence rates exceeded by 3.6 times the last year infections. 2,560 people have been already hospitalized since flu started spreading. 20 of them are pregnant women, 849 are babies under age 1. 833 were diagnosed with pneumonia, including 161 children under 14.

He also mentioned that there are 8 known strains. 2 of them were identified. H3N2 laboratory-confirmed variant is also circulating as of now. Bekshin warned that flu is the most dangerous respiratory viral infection causing the most complications. The most common complications are pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, chronic cardiac vascular diseases, kidney diseases, etc.

As earlier reported, 180,000 flu shots were bought this year in Almaty.