Seasonal flu incidence on the rise in Qatar

“The incidence of seasonal flu, which is usually being witnessed during winter, has picked up in Qatar recently”By Noimot Olayiwola/Staff ReporterIncidence of seasonal influenza, which has so far killed some people and got many hospitalised in the US, is on the rise lately in Qatar, a senior official observed yesterday. “The incidence of seasonal flu, which is usually being witnessed during winter, has picked up in Qatar recently and it could be more aggressive as influenza’s activity is very difficult to predict,” the Hamad Medical Corporation’s Infectious Diseases section manager Dr Abdul-latif al-Khal said yesterday without giving any specific number of cases affected already in the country.However, he mentioned that three types of flu viruses – H3N2, type B influenza and H1N1 are presently being isolated in the HMC laboratory.The 2012-2013 influenza season started early and activity remains high in the US and this trend may continue for some time, according to Dr al-Khal.Influenza, commonly called the “flu,” is a contagious viral infection that affects the respiratory system including the nose, throat and lungs. Symptoms of the flu can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue while some people may also have vomiting and diarrhoea.However,  Dr al-Khal urged residents to go for vaccination in order to guard themselves against the virus while strongly recommending flu jabs for those at risks such as small children below five years, diabetics and those suffering from chronic liver conditions such as asthma as well as those aged above 50 years.“Other people to which we strictly recommend flu vaccines are those with immune-compromising conditions and pregnant women regardless of their trimester,” he maintained adding that flu vaccines are available in all PHCs and at Hamad Hospital.Flu vaccines are designed to protect against three influenza viruses that experts predict will be the most common during the upcoming season and the three kinds of influenza viruses that commonly circulate among people today are influenza B viruses, influenza A (H1N1) viruses, and influenza A (H3N2) viruses. Each year, one flu virus of each kind is used to produce seasonal influenza vaccine.