Last week saw another expected increase in acute respiratory illnesses. Photo credit: Freepik.
South Moravia, Dec 12 (BD) – The term “acute respiratory infection” (ARI) refers to a set of acute diseases primarily affecting the respiratory tract. The South Moravian Regional Hygiene Station, based in Brno, informs the public each week about the incidence of acute respiratory infections in South Moravia.
The morbidity figure is based on the number of patients treated for acute respiratory infections in GP outpatient clinics for adults and paediatricians’ clinics for children and adolescents. These are 186 inpatient and 106 outpatient clinics across the region, registering a total of almost 430,000 people. The reports are processed every Friday for the previous week, and then forwarded to the national office.
According to Dr. Renata Ciupek of the South Moravian Health Authority, there was another expected increase in acute respiratory illnesses infections last week, with a total of 2,322 patients per 100,000 inhabitants.The fastest increase is in the districts of Brno-venkov, Blansko, Hodonín and Breclav. Morbidity is now rising fastest among preschool and elementary schoolchildren.
A wide variety of viruses contribute to morbidity, including influenza, resulting in high fevers and general malaise. According to the National Influenza Reference Laboratory in Prague, influenza A/H3 is currently the dominant influenza virus. Increasing influenza activity has also been reported in other countries, including Germany, France, and Austria.
The seasonal increase in respiratory infections this season is higher and faster than at “pre-cide.” The natural circulation of respiratory viruses has been suppressed due to previous antiviral measures, including influenza, which has been here for the past two seasons but has been virtually nonexistent.
In this regard, Dr. Ciupek suggests several hygiene tips:
- strictly follow the principles of hand and respiratory hygiene.
- If the disease develops, pay close attention to recommended treatment and do not ignore it.
- Ventilate enclosed shared spaces on a regular, brief, and vigorous basis to ensure that air is exchanged quickly and the room does not become too cold.
