Mexico Flu Outbreak 2014: 374 Deaths So Far This Year, But No Repeat Of 2009 Swine Flu Epidemic

Notimex reports that the Mexican Health Secretariat (SSA) says that since the start of the new year, 3,437 cases of influenza have been confirmed in Mexico. The bulk of those cases -- some 2,923 -- have been from the H1N1 virus strain, more commonly known as swine flu. According to the agency, 374 people have died in 2014. The outbreak, which unlike that of 2009 has not been classified as an epidemic, appears to be subsiding -- from its peak of 927 cases and 71 deaths occurring from Jan. 17-23, the first week of February saw 39 cases and two deaths attributed to H1N1 or the other reported strains, which include AH3N2 and B.

Animal Politico has published a chart which breaks down the infections by state. The chart shows that states in the center and center-west of Mexico have been especially hard-hit by the flu: Jalisco (481 cases), San Luis Potosi (309), Mexico City (293) and Mexico state (221) round out the top four spots. Many of the deaths, however, have come in Baja California, where of the 130 reported cases, 42 people have died. Veracruz, the state where the swine flu epidemic of 2009 originated, has seen only 3 deaths and 37 reported cases.

CNN Mexico reports that the most affected group this season have been adults from 30 to 55 years old who are suffering from some other illness at the time they’re infected. Cuitláhuac Ruiz, the general director of epidemiology at the SSA, told the network, “That doesn’t mean that people older than 60 don’t get sick, but epidemiologically it occurs in younger people.” He added, “66.3 percent of the deaths this year have occurred among these young adults who have other characteristics. 80 percent of them have another comorbidity and over 80 percent of them weren’t vaccinated.”