Flu Epidemic Spreads across Bulgaria

In the capital Sofia the number of those having the flu has reached 155 per 1 000. Photo by BGNES

A flu epidemic has been declared in Bulgaria's regions of Shumen and Varna on Monday.

A patient in the city of Shumen has been proven to be a case of the so-called swine flu A(H1N1) virus, but is reported to be in good condition. The number of those with flu symptoms in the Black Sea capital of Varna has been steadily going up in the last few days.

According to data from the National Reference Laboratory, 30% of sick persons tested in Sofia carry the A(H1N1) type virus.

This year the flu can lead pneumonia, doctors say, and warn strongly against self-medicating and taking antibiotics.

The flu epidemic status has already been set for the entire Sofia Region, including the capital Sofia, where the number of those having the flu has reached 155 per 1 000, as well as for the Pazardzhik and Vratsa Regions, the cities of Pleven and Blagoevgrad and a number of towns in the Blagoevgrad Region.

A total of 12 Bulgarian regions are on the brink of declaring a flu epidemic.

This necessitates the closing down of schools for a period of a week along with special precautionary measures for citizens.

Medical authorities have commented that the flu morbidity is expected to subside within 4 or 6 weeks.

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