Over 100 000 Bulgarians Infected with Swine Flu

An average of 140 people per 10 000 of the Bulgarian population have the A(H1N1) virus also known as swine flu.

This means that a little over 100 000 Bulgarians have the new flu, said Bulgaria’s Health Minister, Bozhidar Nanev, in Parliament Thursday.

Six Bulgarian Districts – Gabrovo, Burgas, Yambol, Silistra, Targovishte, and Stara Zagora – have declared a swine flu epidemic. So have six large municipalities – Varna, Shumen, Vratsa, Lovech, Samokov, and Nikopol.

Nanev told the MPs there was no need to declare national swine flu epidemic yet as the figure of 200 infected per 10 000 had not been reached.

Yet, the Minister said those figures could be reached soon as the number of Bulgarians who are down with the flu was on the rise.

Nanev said the five cases of deaths from swine flu registered in Bulgaria so far were all related to additional health issues which led to complications.

80 000 packages of anti-flu medications have been distributed around the country already, and 10 000 more are available at the Health Ministry. Another 60 000 are to be delivered in the coming days. The Bulgarian government allocated Wednesday additional BGN 12 M for the purchase of anti-flu medications.

The Ministry of Health believes that all those infected with swine flu are receiving the proper treatment.