“381 AH1N1 Influenza Cases Reported in Bolivia, 8 in Same Period Last Year”

Influenza AH1N1 and Respiratory Syncytial (RSV) are the two viruses that circulate in the country. The Ministry of Health reported that in the last week, the cases decreased and the epidemic is now reported in six departments.

“The H1N1 virus is the one that is currently affecting the population the most,” said the head of the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health, Freddy Armijo. He recalled that until a few weeks ago, type B influenza was the one that circulated the most.

According to data from the Ministry of Health, the AH1N1 type influenza affected 381 people until week 18, that is, the week that ends. However, in the same period of 2022, only eight cases were reported.

Armijo indicated that another of the viruses that is also affecting Bolivians is RSV, which reported 276 cases until week 18, although in the same period of 2022 184 were registered.

The report also reveals that another virus that is circulating is influenza type B, which records 267 cases.

According to epidemiologist Alex Álvarez, of the three, the first two are the ones that affect health the most.

The AH1N1 is an infection that mainly affects the nose, throat and lungs and that can cause even very serious damage.

He assured that either of the two types of influenza or RSV have the same symptoms: high fever, cough, runny nose, headache, muscle pain, and weakness.

Therefore, the vulnerable population: pregnant women, the elderly, people with underlying diseases and children under two years of age should protect themselves and receive the influenza vaccine.

Armijo revealed that until the previous epidemiological week (17) Bolivia was in an active epidemic in eight of the nine departments, except Tarija. However, by week 18, the cases decreased and now it is in endemic behavior. “That is to say that the same number of cases that there were historically are being registered again.”

He stressed that the decrease in cases was registered in eight departments and one in an upward trend.

Now the epidemic is registered in six departments: Beni, Pando, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz and Potosí, while Santa Cruz, Tarija, and Oruro are endemic.

“When there is an epidemic, there is obviously a higher probability of deaths,” Armijo said, although he assured that they still do not have consolidated data from that registry. “We are still processing them.”

Page Seven reported yesterday that seven people died in the country due to complications of these pathologies and that Santa Cruz declared an alarm.

For this reason, Armijo stressed that “we must be alarmed at any symptom of a cold”, for which he reiterated that the influenza viruses, VSR and Covid-19 still circulate, because the population must continue with security measures, use of mask, hand washing, social distancing and ventilation of environments.