Sofia, Jan 21 || Bulgaria's Health Ministry announced that the coastal Burgas District has become the third region this year to declare a flu epidemic.
From January 22 to 30, temporary anti-epidemic measures will be enforced in Burgas. These include the suspension of in-person classes, extracurricular activities, and hospital visits.
Similar measures are already in place in two other districts. Varna's restrictions, initially set for January 14-20, have been extended to January 26 due to high case numbers. In Dobrich, measures will remain until the end of this week.
National data for the week of January 12-18 show 121,254 people were examined for influenza and acute respiratory diseases (ARD), with 4,194 hospitalised, news agency reported.
Children aged 5-14 were the most affected group, with 7,670 cases per 100,000 population. They were followed by children aged 0-4, with 6,108 cases per 100,000.
Seasonal influenza (the flu) is an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses. It is common in all parts of the world. Most people recover without treatment.