Brazil: 2021 Seasonal Flu

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.metro1.com.br/noticias/c...es-em-salvador

Bahia has eight deaths registered by the disease. Until the last second (27), 673 cases of Flu Syndrome (GS) were identified as a result of the virus
More than 70% of the cases of H3N2 in Bahia are in Salvador residents
By: Metro1 on December 28, 2021 at 11:34 am

The State Department of Health (Sesab) released this Tuesday (28) the epidemiological situation of cases of Influenza A H3N2 in Bahia. Until the last Monday (27), 673 cases of Flu Syndrome (GS) as a result of the virus were identified in the LACEN/BA information system. Of these, 493, that is, 73.3% of residents in Salvador.

The capital of Bahia also concentrates the record of deaths from H3N2. Across the state, eight people died, seven residents in Salvador and one in Laje.

Most deaths occurred in the age group above 80 years, totaling six deaths. The others were also elderly, over 60 years old.

Sesab emphasizes that due to instabilities in the Ministry of Health's information systems, access to case notification data has been inconsistent and discontinuous, making the information subject to review.

[sharon sanders]

bump this

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.lodivalleynews.com/coast...nza-outbreaks/

Coastal and inland regions of SP recording influenza outbreaks
Willa Ruiz December 25, 2021 3 min read

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, patients with flu symptoms are crowding hospitals and healthcare facilities in many cities in the state of São Paulo. Some municipalities are already preparing for the return of tents to deal with influenza cases. The outbreak spread across the interior and Baixada Santista, and was exacerbated by the further spread of H3N2 virus variant, which the vaccine has not yet combated. Municipalities designate health units for the exclusive care of patients with influenza-like symptoms.

Santos Health Minister Adriano Catapreta used social networks to announce the installation of tents in front of the Eastern and Central Emergency Care Units (UPAs). A multi-sport gym will be used as a triage center for influenza patients. The site will serve to screen patients with flu-like symptoms who seek care at UPA in the Northwest, located nearby.

He recommended, “The increase in the number of patients seeking a city health network showing flu-like symptoms is significant. If symptoms appear, stay home, and if they worsen, seek medical attention.” He pointed out that hospitalizations have not increased yet, as they are mostly mild cases. The municipality demanded an increase of 70,000 doses of vaccine for the state.

In São Jose do Rio Preto, Health Minister Aldenis Purim said the city was experiencing an outbreak of the flu and children’s hospitals were full. Residents were asked to use an alcohol mask and gel and to avoid clumps. “We have practically run out of vacancies (in hospitals), we generally need the cooperation of the population so that we do not have problems with the lack of beds.”

Last weekend, the state-run Rio Preto Children’s and Maternity Hospital recorded a maximum capacity of 30 ICU beds and a dispensary due to cases of pneumonia. The day before yesterday, the occupation in the intensive care unit decreased to 90% and the dispensary to 60%.

Jundiaí has recorded a 70% increase in care for people with flu symptoms in the past three days. While last week’s average was 400 people a day, between December 20 and 22, the average was more than 700 people.

The Municipal Health Department of Rio de Janeiro has opened the third Influenza Care Center in the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro...

[Shiloh]

Source: https://afnoticias.com.br/estado/nov...ados-no-brasil


New H3N2 variant of the flu virus causes deaths in at least 4 states in Brazil
The H3N2 virus is easily spread from person to person.

The influenza virus Influenza A H3N2 continues to spread rapidly throughout Brazil. Last Thursday (23), the state of Rio Grande do Sul confirmed the first death by the variant, in the city of São Francisco de Paula. In Bahia, there are already five deaths and the capital Salvador is on alert for an outbreak. In Pernambuco, the State Health Department recorded two more deaths this week.

In Rio de Janeiro, there are already seven deaths caused by the H3N2 subtype, according to the Municipal Health Department of the City of Rio. The state can be considered the gateway to the new mutation in Brazil, according to researcher Marcelo Gomes, coordinator of InfoGripe Fiocruz, due to the great movement in the capital's airports.

“In this type of situation, the most vulnerable people are those at the extreme of the age group, that is, children and the elderly, in addition to immunosuppressed people, people who already have a history of respiratory problems and heart failure. We normalized the flu, but it is an important cause in hospital admissions and can lead to death, yes”, declares Marcelo.

The states of São Paulo, Pará, Amazonas, Rondônia and Goiás are on alert due to the high number of cases, despite not having registered deaths related to the H3N2 subtype yet...

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.brytfmonline.com/h3n2-fl...n-the-country/

H3N2 flu is present in at least 11 states and lights up on alert in the country
Andrea Hargraves December 18, 2021 5 min read

In recent weeks, with cases and deaths from Covid-19 declining, a Another disease outbreak To be noticed. Patients with influenza A, more specifically the H3N2 strain, They called health services to deal with the symptoms of influenza.

The virus that has already caused an epidemic in Rio de Janeiro, in at least 10 other states, including the Federal District, According to the survey capital Cities Held with ministers of state. With symptoms similar to Covid – coughing, nasal congestion, fever and muscle aches – it is easy to confuse the two diseases and a PCR test is needed to confirm which virus is responsible for the infection.

Federal District, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Espiritu Santo, BahiaParaná, Rio Grande do Sul, Amazonas, Rio Grande do Norte, Maranhão and Ceará have already recorded cases of influenza. Goias has not yet had confirmation, but she is monitoring nine suspected cases of H3N2. Some federal units are warning that deleting SUS data makes it difficult to notify patients of the virus, and the numbers may be higher than those disclosed so far.

The Amazonas Department of Health reported that, from the beginning of November through Friday (17/12), the state recorded 494 positive cases of influenza, 262 of which were in the past week alone. However, this is the seasonal period of the disease in the north where the federal unit is located.

In Rio, about 21,000 people were diagnosed with the flu in the last three weeks of November. Earlier this week, Sao Paulo’s municipal health minister, Edson Aparecido, told CNN that the capital of São Paulo is also experiencing an outbreak.

Increased viral circulation...

[sharon sanders]

bump this

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www-dw-com.translate.goog/pt...n&_x_tr_pto=sc

"Brazil is experiencing a flu scenario predicted for fall 2022"
Bruno Lupion
4 hours ago4 hours ago

Vaccine applied this year does not protect against the Darwin strain of the H3N2 virus in circulation, and severity is similar to that of flu from previous years, says specialist. Anticipation of the outbreak caught the unprotected population.

Some regions in Brazil are facing an outbreak of influenza, the common flu, caused by a new strain of the H3N2 virus. The epicenter is the Metropolitan Region of Rio, where it was declared an epidemic state, but the number of new cases is also growing in other places, such as in the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo and Bahia.

Last Tuesday (12/14), the municipal health secretary of São Paulo, Edson Aparecido, acknowledged that there was an "outbreak" of flu in the city. Accurate monitoring of new cases, however, is hampered by instability in federal registration systems.

The new strain was named Darwin, the name of the city in Australia where it was first identified this year. It will be considered in the formulation of the 2022 flu vaccine, which should begin to be distributed in Brazil in February or March.

Physician Isabella Ballalai, vice president of the Brazilian Society of Immunizations (SBIm), tells DW Brazil that the flu cycle began very early this year and that the country is, in practice, experiencing the scenario "predicted for our autumn -winter 2022".

Ballalai explains that the flu vaccine given in the first half of the year does not protect against this strain, and that the symptoms of influenza caused by the current outbreak are no more serious than the flu from previous years, but they do require care...

...DW Brazil: Why is the flu outbreak happening in the summer this year?

Isabella Ballalai: It's a question that doesn't want to be silenced. We don't have scientific evidence to say exactly why this is happening, but there are some suspicions and considerations. First, the influenza virus circulates year-round in Brazil, not just during seasonal months. In most parts of the country this happens in the fall and winter months. But in Northern Brazil the seasonality is anticipated, in December and January is when it starts there.

It's the first time we've seen such anticipation. It already happened in 2016, when the influenza outbreak in Brazil began in January and February. It was a year of a lot of circulation of the virus and a lot of chaos, as the anticipation caught everyone unprepared, since the vaccine in Brazil arrives in February and March.

Another factor is the use of a mask, which greatly reduces the transmission of influenza. So we have a population that was not exposed to the virus, even though it was circulating among us. People were locked in the house or going out little, and wearing masks and hand hygiene care and so on. These barriers increase the number of susceptible people, who are people who have had no or little contact with the virus.

And this year we had one of the worst vaccine coverage for influenza in Brazil. Everyone was in the middle of the covid-19 campaign, much more concerned about getting vaccinated against covid-19 than against influenza. It is likely that the sum of all this led to this anticipation. The prevalent strain circulating among us is H3N2 Darwin, which was announced by the World Health Organization as one of those that will be part of the vaccine for 2022. So today we are living the scenario predicted for our fall-winter 2022...

[sharon sanders]

bump this

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.riotimesonline.com/brazi...tain-outbreak/

Rio de Janeiro looks for leftover flu vaccines in other states to contain outbreak
The Influenza epidemic has spread to cities in the Metropolitan Region. Beds in wards are opened to extend care.
By
The Rio Times -
December 16, 2021

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - The flu epidemic that has spread in Rio de Janeiro city and state has forced the State Health Secretariat (SES) to search for vaccine leftovers in other locations in Brazil.

As there is a weekly shortage of the vaccine while the outbreak of Influenza A, subtype H3N2, is increasing, the SES has approached other secretaries to procure doses...

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.catholictranscript.org/i...or-in-14-days/

Influenza outbreak: H3N2 cases increased 1,380% in Salvador in 14 days
Yvonne Lipsey December 15, 2021 6 min read

Allied to COVID-19, influenza syndromes worry Salvador’s Municipal Health Ministry. And one more than the others: influenza caused by H3N2, a type of influenza A virus, which has increased 1380% in cases in the capital, in the last 14 days. On December 1, five patients were registered in the city. This Tuesday (14), there were already 74, according to SMS. In just the last 24 hours, there have been 21 diagnostic confirmations.

For this reason, Mayor Bruno Reyes (Democratic), I had to reopen Bao Miodo flu To reduce pressure on care at Barris’ Emergency Care Unit (UPA), the only flu service operating so far that has tripled in demand in the past week.

According to researcher Marcelo Gomez, Infogripe coordinator at Fiocruz, a group that monitors data for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SRAG) notifications in Brazil, the outbreak in El Salvador comes from a new H3N2 mutation that appeared in the northern hemisphere at the end of last year that arrived in Rio de Janeiro, In the second semester, it spread to other states, such as Bahia and Amazonas.

“Today, we already know that H3N2 predominates, even without genetic sequencing, because in addition to Rio de Janeiro with an epidemic scenario, it ends up spraying in the capitals and large centers of the country, because of our air network. We have, daily, passengers going up from Rio to the main cities In the country and vice versa.. Gomez says this causes a very high incidence of cases in Rio, which is certainly the same type...

[Shiloh]

H3n2 cases are on the rise in Brazil: https://www1-folha-uol-com-br.transl..._x_tr_hl=en-US