BRIEFS: Health

Number of flu cases about the same as last year

As of the end of last week, 128,000 cases of the flu have been reported in the country, which is a slight increase from the same period last year. During the first 6 ½ months of 2007, the Ministerio de Salud (Minsa) reported 127,000 cases of the disease.

Minsa's director of epidemiology, Gladys Guerrero, said the numbers are not that unusual. “At this time of year, we always see a large number of cases,” she said.

According to Guerrero, the entire population is susceptible to contracting the flu because it is transmissible from person to person. She recommended that people go to the doctor, especially when they have headaches or a fever. These symptoms are an indication of the flu, not just a cold.

Guerrero recommended that people over 60 or under 5 years of age receive flu shots to mitigate the effects of the disease.