Signs of new flu outbreak in Japan

[tyto]

Tokyo
Japan Broadcasting Corporation
Source: http://www.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/12_25.html

Health experts say a nationwide outbreak of the rapidly spreading H1N1 influenza could occur in Japan when schools reopen in September. The National Institute of Infectious Diseases is updated on flu cases each week by about 4,800 medical institutions nationwide. The number of cases reported in the week until August 2nd was 2,655, twice that of the previous week. The figures for midsummer in the previous decade ranged from 13 to about 500. The reports do not differentiate between regular influenza and the new flu caused by the H1N1 virus, but experts suspect that many of the new patients have the new type. The institute would declare a nationwide epidemic if the average number of patients per medical institution were to exceed one. The average now stands at 0.56.

2009/08/12 21:56(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)

Also, Japan will be entering it's Bon Festival Season beginning today. This is a time when there will be a lot of people moving and traveling. By the way, Bon Festival, also known as the "Day of the Dead" celebrates those who've departed to the afterlife.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_Festival