Latvia: Seasonal flu 2025

[Shiloh]

Source: https://bnn-news.com/flu-outbreak-in-latvia-intensifies-sharp-rise-in-cases-274727

Flu outbreak in Latvia intensifies — sharp rise in cases
LETA
November 27, 2025​

Last week, the activity of influenza and other acute respiratory infections continued to increase, according to data from the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (SPKC).

Clinically diagnosed influenza was confirmed in another 45 patients, meaning the average incidence was 64.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants — 41.7% more than the previous week.

The highest flu intensity was registered in Jelgava. Cases were also recorded in Valmiera municipality, Riga, Jūrmala, Rēzekne and Daugavpils.

The highest flu incidence was observed among children up to 14 years old, while the sharpest increase compared to the previous week was seen in the 15–64 age group.

In hospitals last week, 373 patients were tested for flu, and in 38 cases (10.2%) A-type influenza viruses were confirmed.​..

 

[Commonground]

Quarantine imposed in Latvian prison over influenza

​2025-12-15​

RIGA, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- The administration of Valmiera Prison in northern Latvia has put the correctional facility under quarantine from Monday, Dec. 15 to Dec. 23 because of a rapid spread of influenza among the inmates, LETA news agency reported.

During the quarantine period, a number of restrictions have been imposed on the prison's activities. Face-to-face meetings between inmates and representatives of government or local authorities, defense lawyers, notaries and state-funded legal aid providers have been temporarily suspended.

Retailers and service providers may only supply goods and services to ensure the prison's basic functions during the quarantine period. The employment of inmates at companies cooperating with the prison administration is also partly halted.

The Latvian Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) has declared an influenza epidemic in Latvia as of Dec. 9, based on influenza monitoring data provided by the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory (NMRL).

A sharp increase in flu incidence has been reported in all territories covered by the seasonal monitoring and across all age groups of the Latvian population, according to CDC data. In the first week of December, the flu incidence rate reached 344.2 cases per 100,000 population. ■
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https://english.news.cn/20251215/b2dd4d9fb56d42689d3c2cca5804ec81/c.html

 

[Commonground]

Flu epidemic already underway in Latvia, but vaccine supply insufficient — doctors raise alarm​

December 15, 2025​

The state must allocate significantly more funding for vaccinating high-risk groups against influenza, Ainis Dzalbs, Vice President of the Latvian Association of Rural Family Physicians and a family doctor, said in an interview on Latvian Television’s Rīta panorāma programme.

He explained that Latvia has around 400,000 residents aged over 60, while the total number of flu vaccines procured by the state amounts to only about 120,000 to 130,000 doses. “If we wanted to vaccinate the highest-risk group alone, we clearly would not have enough doses,” Dzalbs said.

Survey results show that family physicians would have liked to receive more flu vaccines. Approximately 53% of surveyed family doctors said their practices would optimally need an additional 30–50 vaccine doses.

According to Dzalbs, this has been a long-standing issue, and family doctors have repeatedly tried to convince the institutions responsible for vaccination policy and procurement of the need to address it.

The family doctor stressed that politicians and officials must once again be urged to do everything possible to ensure that people in risk groups receive flu vaccinations in a timely manner, as the benefits for patients are substantial.
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https://bnn-news.com/flu-epidemic-a...upply-insufficient-doctors-raise-alarm-275317