Japan enters nationwide influenza season as cases surge

According to government data, the number of influenza cases in Japan has entered a period of a nationwide outbreak, and the number of cases is still rising overall.

For the week ending Nov. 3, roughly 5,000 medical institutions reported a total of 5,127 influenza cases, an increase of 829 cases from the previous week, according to the country's health ministry.

The average number of patients per medical institution reached 1.04, surpassing the threshold for declaring the start of a nationwide flu season, prompting the ministry to announce the official onset on Friday.

By region, Okinawa reported the highest flu incidence, with 10.64 cases per facility, followed by Shizuoka (2.09), Chiba (2.00), Oita (1.66), and Fukui (1.62).

Health officials urged the public to adhere to basic preventative measures, including frequent handwashing, appropriate mask use, and considering vaccination, particularly for high-risk groups.

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