Over the past week, 200 cases of influenza have been treated in Aragonese hospitals, four times less than a month ago.
The incidence of influenza in Aragon continues to decline, although this respiratory infection still exceeds epidemic levels. However, the load on medical centers is decreasing. Thus, over the last week (from January 29 to February 4), Aragonese hospitals received 200 emergency cases of influenza (1.7% of the total), of which 38 required entry. This is four times less than a month ago, when 834 consultations were covered in these services.
This follows from Epidemiological bulletin of Aragon, updated this Thursday, reporting that for the seventh week in a row, flu cases have risen above the season’s basal threshold of 59.6 cases per 100,000 people. The peak of the curve was reached in the second week of the year – 334.8 cases.
Regarding acute respiratory infectionsThe global rate is 695.9 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. A month ago it was 1368.3. In turn, the rate of severe acute respiratory infections was 22.8 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants (versus 37.5 in the second week of January). The incidence was highest in the group of people over 79 years of age (68.8), followed by the population aged 65 to 79 years (37.7).
The epidemiological information collected by the Bulletin did not identify any influenza outbreaks this week. However, this does shift outbreak of acute norovirus gastroenteritis among users of a closed establishment in Huesca. 30% of casualties are among users and workers. Most cases began with vomiting and progressed favorably. Person-to-person transmission is suspected and general preventive measures are recommended to control the outbreak.
85 cases of Q fever in Aragon in 8 years
This week’s public health topic is Q fever from 2015 to 2023. It is a zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii, which Infection occurs mainly through direct contact with infected animals.especially livestock, through inhalation of particles contaminated with bacteria, contact with tissues or body fluids of infected animals, and through consumption of unpasteurized dairy products.
Q fever can manifest itself in various forms, from a mild, self-limiting illness to a severe, chronic illness. Symptoms may vary, but the most common are high fever, headache, chillsmuscle pain, fatigue and general discomfort.
According to the ECDC (European Center for Disease Prevention and Control), in 2022 Spain was the community country reporting the most cases (303) and presenting the highest rate (0.64 per 100,000 inhabitants). Q fever is considered notifiable disease since 2015. It is important to emphasize that, among other things, seroconversion is necessary for a case to be considered confirmed.
In Aragon, 85 cases of Q fever were reported between 2015 and 2023, of which: 61 people were hospitalized. 69.4% of the cases were men. The province with the highest number of cases was Zaragoza (58.3%), followed by Huesca (33.3%).