The Guadalajara Reporter

Flu cases and deaths increase in Jalisco, Mexico

Earlier this week, state and federal health officials indicated this season’s flu outbreak seemed under control, but now the number of those ill with the virus is multiplying rapidly in Jalisco and the rest of the country.

The virus has stricken more than 350 people in Jalisco, resulting in 37 deaths, health officials reported this week, making the state one of the hardest hit in all of Mexico.

Nationally there have been more than 2,400 cases and 255 deaths. President Enrique Peña Nieto stressed that high risk populations—children, pregnant women, older adults and those with chronic illnesses—should get vaccinated.

With the increasing number of cases, the Archdiocese of Guadalajara called on priests in the municipalities of Zapopan and Guadalajara to inform parishioners about the importance of personal hygiene.

Priests advised people to skip the greeting of peace and avoid making contact with other people’s hands to avoid spreading the illness.

Public and private school officials are greeting students at the door and turning away those with visible signs of flu and squirting antibacterial gel into the hands of every student entering the building. One headmaster told the Reporter that absences due to the flu have increased from a normal 10 percent to 35 percent of the student body. She said some 10 percent of those out reported that the children’s parents were sick as well. Two deaths blamed on influenza of elder family members of students were reported to the school director.

To deal with the number of people hospitalized by the illness, health officials said earlier this week they had 3,000 treatments of the antiviral drug, Tamiflu, and that 8,000 more had been requested from the federal government.

Still, people should avoid taking the antiviral before seeing a doctor. If someone who doesn’t have the flu takes, it can create resistance in upcoming outbreaks.

The spread has led some to take advantage of those looking to avoid the illness. In El Santuario, in Guadalajara’s historic downtown, the flu vaccine could be purchased for 1,300 pesos even though the public health system had run out at some of its medical locations, La Crónica de Hoy Jalisco reported.

The flu vaccine is available, free of cost, to all no matter their nationality and is available at any local health clinics (centro de salud) operated by the Jalisco Secretaria de Salud (JSS).

This year’s predominant strain of the virus, AH1N1, has been hitting middle-aged adults particularly hard and has been widespread in the United States as well. Holiday travel between California and Jalisco has eased the proliferation of the illness between the two countries.

To avoid the flu wash your hands frequently, avoid hand shakes and cover your mouth if you sneeze, though not into your hands.