MADRID, 16 ( EUROPA PRESS)

The cold wave which comes whipping the Iberian Peninsula since the month of February has caused that in just two weeks has increased 27 percent of flu activity in Spain, placing the incidence rate in 249,9 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Thus emerges from the latest report of network national Epidemiological surveillance of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III relating to the week of 6 to 12 February, the last of which currently have collected statistical data.

The incidence of flu in the last week of January was 196,1 cases per 100,000 population, but the drop in temperature caused by the wave of cold Siberian which began Thursday, February 1, made it in the next report (from January 30 to January 5) perceived a slight increase in cases (212,3) which has escalated a week later.

Brunt communities in this last week, which has been characterized by low temperatures throughout the country have been Aragon (514,5), Asturias (412,9), Cantabria (370,3), Extremadura (358,2), Navarre (314), Catalonia (296,2), Castilla y León (295), La Rioja (286,8), Canary Islands (269,5), Basque country (268.8) and Castilla – La Mancha (253,4).

And Melilla are located below the national average (212,7), Andalusia (209,6), Valencian Community (208,9), Ceuta (125,4), Baleares (106,2) and Madrid (90.4), while Murcia and Galicia do not offer data.

El Carlos III recalls that the level of spread of the virus is already epidemic in all communities though, however, it seems to activity stabilizes networks Andalusia, Aragon and the Basque country, as well as Madrid and Castilla La Mancha, where already a declining trend had begun and could have reached the peak of the epidemic in the preceding weeks wave.

On the other hand, influenza activity continues to show a growing evolution in some networks of North Spain (Asturias, Cantabria, Navarra), from the East (Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencia) and Melilla.

Influenza activity remains associated with a movement of the majority of the virus influenza A (H3) in a generalized manner, and in its distribution by groups of age, there is a significant increase in children under 5 years and older than 14 years, while continuing the trend towards stabilization in the 5-14 group years.

176 Serious cases have required hospitalization

In addition, since the beginning of the season 2011 – 2012 have been reported 176 serious hospitalized confirmed flu cases by 13 communities, of which 53 per cent were men and 47 percent women. Of these, 10 patients eventually died, eight of them by presenting some risk factor for complications.

The largest number of cases have been in older than 64 years (36%), followed by children under 5 years (34%). In addition, 98 per cent of these serious cases (172) corresponded to infections by the influenza A (H3) viruses.

With the information available so far notes that 99 cases (83%) Yes had risk factors for complications of influenza and 48 (28%) admitted to ICU. The most frequent risk factors include lung disease chronic (26%), diabetes (21%) and chronic cardiovascular disease (19%).

Of those who belong to groups eligible for vaccination and available information, 35 cases (44%) had received the flu vaccine this season.