First flu bulletin of 2022 season notes care home outbreak and dozens of hospital cases

Monitoring systems have also indicated H1N1 - the virus identified in Mexico in 2009 which was responsible for the global 'swine flu' outbreak of that year - is accounting for the largest number of hospital cases with confirmed influenza across the north.

H1N1 now circulates annually as a seasonal flu in Derry.

An untyped Flu A was responsible for the second largest number of hospital cases, in the first two weeks of October, followed by Flu AH3 - a swine flu variant.

Flu B - a human-only flu virus - was responsible for the lowest number of hospital cases.

The report comes after Australia - which endures its flu season during our summer and is a bellwether for how our winter will pan out - experienced the highest levels of flu in five years.

The Public Health Agency's first bulletin of the season reported that GP consultation rates for flu or flu-like illnesses were 1.3 per 100,000 population in week 40 and 2.2 per 100,000 population in week 41.

This is comparable to the same time in 2021/22. Activity remains below the baseline threshold for the north (<11.3 per 100,000).

Consultation rates in Primary Care Out-of-Hours (OOH) Centres were 0.9 per 100,000 population in weeks 40 and 41.

This was lower than the same period in 2021/22 (2.6/100,000 in week 40 and 1.8/100,000 in week 41).

In weeks 40 and 41 the percentage of calls to an OOH Centre due to flu/FLI was 0.28% and 0.38%, respectively.

Rates were highest in those aged 0-4 years in week 40 (5.5/100,000 population) and highest in those aged 15-44 years in week 41 (1.3 per 100,000 population).

According to the PHA dozens of people hospitalised have already tested positive for flu this season.

"Prior to beginning of the 2022-23 flu season (week 40, 2022), 17 hospitalisations tested positive for flu in weeks 36-39, 2022 (13 Flu A(H1NI), two Flu A(H3), two Flu A(untyped).

"In weeks 40 and 41, 32 hospitalisations were positive for flu (15 Flu A(H1NI), seven Flu A (untyped), six Flu A(H3), and four Flu B) from 2934 samples submitted for testing in laboratories across Northern Ireland," the bulletin states.

And, as aforementioned, there has already been an outbreak in a care home.

"During week 40 there was one confirmed influenza outbreak reported to the PHA Health Protection acute response duty room. This outbreak took place in a care home setting," the PHA confirmed.

The PHA flu bulletin also notes that there were over a hundred deaths associated with respiratory illness over the two weeks, which is normal.

"In week 40, 72 respiratory associated deaths out of 311 all-cause deaths were reported (23%). "In week 41, 81 respiratory associated deaths out of 308 all-cause deaths were reported (26%). "These trends are broadly similar to 2021/22 (23% in week 40 and 29% in week 41)," it states.

Respiratory associated deaths include those attributable to influenza and other infections and their complications including 'bronchiolitis, bronchitis, influenza or pneumonia’.