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Flu peak expected in Russia in January – sanitary doctor

A peak of flu epidemics is expected in Russia in January 2012

ST. PETERSBURG, November 9 (Itar-Tass) —— A peak of flu epidemics is expected in Russia in January 2012, Russia’s chief sanitary doctor and head of the federal consumer protection authority Gennady Onishchenko said on Wednesday.

The situation over seasonal respiratory diseases in Russian regions is stable, mostly because schoolchildren are on holidays, he said. In his words, the current flu and respiratory diseases rate is below the epidemics level by 10.6 percent. An increase in such cases is reported only in the Stavropol territory, and in the cities of Volgograd and Voronezh. Flu and cold epidemiological thresholds have been exceeded among children in the cities of Voronezh, Volgograd, and Samara.

According to the chief sanitary doctor, the number of flu and respiratory diseases cases in Europe is considerably below the epidemics level. No flu strains have been registered. In the mean time, he said sporadic flu cases have been reported in the United States.