Influenza infections on the rise, to peak in CNY

Macau has entered the peak period of influenza, with the number of consultations for the illness increasing significantly in recent weeks, according to health officials in a press conference yesterday.

Leong Iek Hou, head of Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Division of the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of the Health Bureau (SSM), stated that Macau entered the peak period of influenza late last month.

Last week, the number of influenza consultations among adults and children increased by 39% and 23% week-on-week, respectively. Leong expects the influenza virus to remain active in the next few weeks, and different influenza viruses may circulate alternately. “Vaccination can prevent four subtypes of the virus, including H1, H3, and two B types,” she noted.

Chang Tam Fei, director of the emergency department of Conde de S. Januário, said that the average daily number of consultations has continued to rise since late last month, with the average follow-up time reaching 71 minutes.

“We use 800 consultations as a warning line, and we have seen numbers consistently exceed this threshold,” Chang said.

Manpower and hospital beds have been allocated according to the situation, and Chang urged patients with mild symptoms to make use of community medical facilities to reduce the burden on hospitals.

Chan Choi Wan, deputy head of the Department of Communicable Disease Prevention and Control, revealed that a total of 162,000 people have been vaccinated against influenza, an increase of nearly 42% year-on-year. The vaccination results for high-risk groups are satisfactory. In addition to influenza, Macau has also seen an upward trend in various acute respiratory infectious diseases, with the detection rates of respiratory influenza viruses and enteroviruses being 12.4% and 21% respectively.

Health officials in Macau are urging the public to get vaccinated against influenza as soon as possible to combat the ongoing peak season.

Over the weekend, the SSM has already issued an alert regarding the active influenza virus in the region, indicating that it has surpassed the warning level and is now at epidemic peak.

Recent data from hospital surveillance shows a notable increase in influenza-like illness visits since late December 2024.

Specifically, adult emergency room visits for such cases rose by 39%, while visits among children increased by 23.1%. In the 52nd week of 2024 alone, influenza-like cases constituted 5.2% of total adult visits and 15.6% among children, reflecting a concerning trend.

The bureau reported a significant rise in the positive rate of influenza viruses detected in patients, jumping from 2.6% in the previous week to 15%, exceeding the warning threshold of 14.5%. The predominant strain identified is influenza A H1, accounting for 75% of cases.

Additionally, four cluster infection events were recorded in December, primarily affecting schools. Macau has reported 21 critical cases requiring ventilators this year, with five fatalities; most affected individuals had not been vaccinated. Victoria Chan

Rise in gastroenteritis cases driven by norovirus infections

In recent weeks, Macau has seen a significant increase in acute gastroenteritis cases, with a notable surge in norovirus infections, the Health Bureau (SSM) reported.

According to SSM’s data, the number of people seeking medical attention for acute gastroenteritis rose from an average of 88 cases per week in November 2024 to 125 cases by the end of December. Additionally, the weekly average of reported norovirus infection cases jumped from 12 in November to 92 by the end of December.

The majority of the cases were attributed to either foodborne gastroenteritis or human-to-human transmission involving large groups of people.

The bureau has notified the relevant departments and implemented infection control measures in response to 12 collective gastroenteritis outbreaks, seven of which were confirmed to be caused by norovirus.

“Acute gastroenteritis is usually caused by viruses or bacteria, and the most common pathogens are norovirus and salmonella,” the SSM explained.

“Transmission can occur through contaminated food or water, contact with infected individuals, or exposure to contaminated objects.”

The SSM is urging the public to prioritize personal, environmental, and food hygiene to prevent the further spread of the disease. VC