Institute Confirms First Flu-related Death of 2024; Romania Sees Surge in Respiratory Infections
ROME, Dec. 22, 2024 — The National Institute of Public Health (INSP) announced Romania’s first confirmed flu-related death of the season, involving a 77-year-old man from Olt County who had not received an anti-flu shot and was infected with the A/H1 subtype of the flu virus.
In its weekly report covering Dec. 16 to Dec. 22, 2024 (Week 51/2024), INSP logged 89,109 respiratory infection cases, marking a 43.1% increase compared to the same week in the previous season (62,287 cases) and a 15.1% decrease from the prior week (104,923 cases). This figure is 38% higher than the average calculated from the previous five seasons (excluding pandemic years), which stood at 64,579 cases.
A breakdown of the infections shows 2,238 cases of clinically defined influenza, compared to 2,766 in the same week of the previous season and 1,421 in the previous week. The week also reported 42 severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases, down by three from the previous week but up by 15 compared to the same period last season.
Lab tests confirmed 55 flu cases, comprising 26 type A flu cases with an undetermined subtype, 8 type A/H1 cases, 1 type A/H3 case, and 20 type B cases. Since the start of the season, Romania has logged 144 lab-confirmed flu cases, including 71 type A undetermined subtype, 45 type B, 23 type A/H1, 5 type A/H3, 4 co-infections of flu and SARS-CoV-2, and 6 co-infections of flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
INSP confirmed the flu virus was the cause of the first death related to respiratory infections in Romania since the start of the season. The victim, a 77-year-old man from Olt County with pre-existing medical conditions, had not received an anti-flu vaccine and was infected with the A/H1 subtype of the flu virus.
Romania has administered 1,111,749 anti-flu vaccines as of Dec. 22, 2024, with 1,092,332 given to population groups eligible for free vaccination under the co-financed program.
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