Mozambique is on alert due to a wave of flu outbreaks. Information had already been circulating informally, but at the beginning of January the Ministry of Health launched an official alert to redouble attention and prevention in the face of the seasonal flu that is being registered on a large scale in the country.
According to Misau, the positivity rate for the influenza virus, one of the causes of acute respiratory infections, has tended to increase since the end of December, rising from 12 per cent to 20 per cent in the last two weeks (referring to January). However, despite this rise, the national health system is still not underloaded.
Misau is implementing a flu syndrome surveillance system to monitor epidemiological trends, seasonality and the circulation of variants of the causative viruses.
But, after all, what is this flu and what is different about it from "normal" flu, what are the symptoms and treatment? We went in search of these answers and here's what we found out.
Symptoms
Seasonal influenza (flu) is an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses. Flu spreads easily between people when they cough or sneeze.
Flu symptoms start between 1 and 4 days after infection, usually lasting about a week and symptoms include: sudden onset of fever; cough (usually dry); headache; muscle and joint pain; severe malaise (feeling unwell); sore throat, and; runny nose.
Most people recover from fever and other symptoms within a week, without the need for medical attention. However, flu can cause serious illness or death, especially in high-risk people.
Flu can worsen the symptoms of other chronic illnesses. In severe cases, flu can cause pneumonia and sepsis. People with other medical problems or who experience severe symptoms should seek medical attention.
Transmission
Seasonal flu spreads easily, with rapid transmission in crowded areas, including public transport, markets, schools, etc. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, droplets containing virus (infectious droplets) are dispersed into the air and can infect people nearby. The virus can also be transmitted by hands contaminated with influenza virus.
According to the Ministry of Health's alert, in Mozambique, a country with a tropical climate, influenza can occur all year round, causing outbreaks on a more irregular basis. As far as is known and according to the same source, this January the number of infections is already at worrying levels, i.e. above normal.
Treatment
Most people recover from the flu on their own. People with severe symptoms or other medical conditions should seek medical attention.
People with mild symptoms should: stay at home to avoid infecting others; rest; drink plenty of fluids; treat other symptoms such as fever and seek medical attention if symptoms worsen.
People at high risk or with severe symptoms should be treated with antiviral drugs as soon as possible. These include pregnant women, children under 59 months of age, the elderly and people living with other chronic illnesses.
Source: MISAU / WHO
