ALB
ENG
By Sonila Isaku
In Albania, flu has not yet reached the phase of the epidemic, because last week, the number of cases touched by flu or respiratory viruses nationwide was 11 thousand, while according to experts of the Institute of Public health, in order to declare the situation an epidemic, there must be 16-18 thousand cases a week. Meanwhile, yesterday, influenza registered its first victim, a 7 year old girl who was admitted in the hospital of Durres with serious complications and could not be saved.
While they appeal for people to be vaccinated and see the doctor when influenza emerges in an aggravated form, experts of the Public Institute of Health call upon children and people who were born from 1980 until 1999 to be vaccinated against measles, as in the recent days, there have been 11 cases of measles nationwide.
Influenza
Officially, Albania is yet to exceed the threshold of a flu epidemic and doctors are reporting for a normal situation, but flu may result very harmful if neglected. The Institute of Public Health so far reports for 11 thousand people affected in a week by respiratory infections and viruses. Expert of this institute, Silva Bino dismisses allegations that a toxic flu is circulating in the country, while she stresses the measures that need to be taken: “There is no toxic flu and this is not written in any rule book. We don’t even have a serious influenza. We just have a state of flu which has affected more people than a week ago. The viruses which are circulating are B and AH1N1. Besides flu, there are also other respiratory viruses which are circulating intensively. We all know the signs of flu, but there will be complications when fever lasts more than three days and other signs aggravate. These signs include difficulties in breathing, chest pain, strong headaches and vomiting or tiredness associated with high fever. There are also complications when fever goes away for several days and then starts again. Here, we may have bacterial complications which need antibiotics”, Bino says.
Cases
As far as cases are concerned, every day, Mother Teresa University Hospital receives 15-30 grown patients, while as far as children are concerned, in the past 24 hours their number was 300. Two types of viruses are circulating in the country, A and B. Dr. ArjanHarxhi says that none of these flu types has any mutations and that they’re very common for our country. “Flu becomes problematic in vulnerable people such as small children and pregnant women. Flu is also problematic for people suffering with chronic diseases”, Harxhi says. Meanwhile, doctors advise people to be vaccinated and to wash their hands frequently, which is a simple measure, but quite efficient, because flu is also transmitted through secretions that contaminate objects. As far as the alarm given by British media for the arrival of the Australian flu is concerned, a type of flu which will be the worst in 50 years, Dr. Harxhi says that there have only been cases in America and Britain and not in Europe or our country.
