Flu epidemic starts in Latvia

  • 2022-12-07
  • LETA/TBT Staff

RIGA - An influenza epidemic has started in Latvia, the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (SPKC) told LETA.

Influenza monitoring data show that the number of patients with suspected influenza has increased by 88.1 percent since mid-November, and the national average is 64.9 flu cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In two monitoring cities, this indicator exceeded the epidemic threshold - in Riga it was 144.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while in Jurmala 125.9 cases per 100,000 inhabitants were recorded.

In the last two weeks, the number of patients who sought medical help with acute upper respiratory tract infection symptoms increased by 28.7 percent - from 1,936.2 per 100,000 inhabitants in mid-November to 2,492.7. In Riga, Jekabpils and Valmiera, this indicator exceeds the average in Latvia and was 3,327.6 in Riga, 2,763.1 in Jekabpils, and 2,626 in Valmiera, respectively.