Japan is probably in the midst of an influenza pandemic after cases reached an estimated 2.06 million in the week through last Sunday, breaking the alert level, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases said Friday.
Cases at the 5,000 or so medical institutions regularly surveyed by the institute produced an average of 33.28, topping the alert level of 30 and indicating a probable pandemic, the NIID said.
Thats three to four weeks earlier than usual.
Cases in the week surged by 670,000 compared with the week before, the institute said, with the jump starting mainly in eastern Japan then spreading across the country.
By prefecture, Miyazaki had the highest average number of flu patients with 76.42, followed by Okinawa with 62.98, Kumamoto with 57.23, Fukuoka with 54.29 and Nagasaki with 50.86.
Of the viruses detected, more than 90 percent were the type-A Hong Kong strain, which has a relatively high probability of causing severe illnesses in older patients, such as pneumonia, and disturbed consciousness in children.
Hand-washing and gargling are important for prevention, Tomimasa Sunagawa of the NIID said, adding that those who show symptoms should refrain from visiting welfare facilities to ensure they dont infect seniors.