STAFF REPORTER
THE regional Health Ministry reported yesterday that from 18th to 24th October, the rate of all types of flu in the Balearics - including the H1N1 swine flu virus - stood at 98.73 cases per 100'000 head of population.
Ministry sources said that the figures represent an increase of 35 percent from the previous week when a stable rate of 63.39 cases per head of 100'000 was recorded. The same sources described the spread of swine flu as sporadic with medium-level intensity looking set to rise. The information for weekly flu assessment reports is gathered from a network of flu watch posts at medical centres across the Balearics - 27 on Majorca (of which 12 are in Palma), 3 on Minorca and 3 on Ibiza.
The Health department was however, keen to point out that figures for the Balearics were considerably lower than the average for the rest of the country, where during the same period, 182.45 cases of flu per 100'000 head of population was registered.
The Ministry recommends that those people who believe they are suffering from swine flu call a Primary Healthcare helpline 900-300061 or can seek assistance on the internet by emailing grip@ibsalut.es.