Flu epidemic declared in Bulgaria’s Sofia region
An influenza epidemic has been declared throughout the Sofia region, with schools closed for seven calendar days from January 21 2014, the regional health inspectorate said.
The Sofia region includes a number of municipalities in the surrounds of Bulgaria’s capital city but not the city itself.
The epidemic was declared after the incidence of flu and acute respiratory infections in the Sofia region reached 318 in 1000.
School attendance was dropping because of illness while figures provided by general practitioners and hospitals showed that the flu had increased beyond epidemic levels, the regional health inspectorate said.
Sofia region includes the municipalities of Anton, Bozhurishte, Botevgrad, Godech, Gorna Malina, Dolna Banya, Dragoman, Elin Pelin, Etropole, Zlatitsa, Ihtiman, Koprivshtitsa, Kostenets, Kostinbrod, Mirkovo, Pirdop, Pravets, Samokov, Svoge, Slivnitsa, Chavdar and Chelopech – but not, as noted, Sofia municipality itself.
On January 17, a flu epidemic was declared in Bourgas, closing schools in the Black Sea city until January 22.
Unconfirmed reports in the Bulgarian-language media said that declarations of flu epidemics were possible in other places in Bulgaria, including Rousse, Montana and Yambol.
(Photo: Paul Barker/sxc.hu)