ST. PETERSBURG, February 13. /TASS/. The influenza and URTI incidence rates in Russian regions continue to grow, with the epidemic threshold exceeding the norm in 43 cities, according to monitoring data published on the website of the Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza of the Russian Health Ministry on Wednesday.
The epidemic threshold exceeded the norm in 34 cities the previous week.
"The influenza and URTI incidence rates in the cities (61) that were monitored on February 4-10 were higher than the weekly epidemic threshold by 28.6% on the average. The thresholds exceeded the norm in 43 cities," the experts said in a report.
The experts noted that the influenza and URTI incidence rates decreased in general. In particular, in the Ural, Far Eastern, Siberian and North Caucasus Federal Districts the incidence rates decreased due to the reduction of incidences among school children. That said, incidence rates in the Southern, Privolzhsky, Northwestern and Central Federal Districts grew among adults and children. "According to international criteria, the epidemic corresponds to the average rate of intensity," the document says.
Experts earlier forecasted the growth of the incidence rates in late January and February, which corresponds to long-term observations.