Flu bug rampant in the capital

INFLUENZA has struck with a vengeance in Windhoek.

People across the capital have been laid low by the flu, with some offices forced to operate on a skeleton staff. Such has been the impact of the flu bug this year, that some Windhoekers believe that a particularly virulent strain must be rife.However, medical practitioners are divided on the scope and nature of this year’s bug attack.Doctors in private practice who spoke to The Namibian yesterday said that up to 80 per cent of the patients they had treated over the past week had flu.”People seem to be very sick in this town,” said Dr Weder who practices in Katutura.Dr Bernard Hausiku, who is based at the Roman Catholic Hospital in the city, told The Namibian that the flu outbreak had led to nearly 30 patients being admitted to hospitals across the city this month, including three children.In his experience, it appeared that as the virus changed every year, it was becoming stronger and responsible for more severe inflammatory responses.The flu, he said, was also contributing to doctors treating more lung-related infections.Hausiku said he suspected that the virus was somehow related to the cold front which has swept the country and that it was being transmitted through the air rather than between people.Weder said while he had not noticed marked increases in the number of patients with the flu compared to last year, it appeared that people were getting hit by the flu later in the season.He recalled having treated more patients for the flu during May and June last year.Pathologist Dr Braam van Greunen of Pathcare Laboratories said it was difficult to determine whether there had in fact been an increase of flu among Namibians this season, as it is seldom tested for.Often he said patients could present flu-like symptoms, but could in fact be infected with other viruses which caused lung-related illnesses.Speaking from her surgery at the Rhino Park Hospital, Dr Nadine Agnew said many of the patients she had treated for the flu, returned to the practice a week or so later suffering from bacterial infections contracted as a result of the flu virus having weakened their immune systems.Doctors said it was possible to have contracted the flu even if patients had been vaccinated against it.The vaccines are developed abroad and might not contain the strain attacking people in southern Africa.Such has been the impact of the flu bug this year, that some Windhoekers believe that a particularly virulent strain must be rife.However, medical practitioners are divided on the scope and nature of this year’s bug attack.Doctors in private practice who spoke to The Namibian yesterday said that up to 80 per cent of the patients they had treated over the past week had flu.”People seem to be very sick in this town,” said Dr Weder who practices in Katutura.Dr Bernard Hausiku, who is based at the Roman Catholic Hospital in the city, told The Namibian that the flu outbreak had led to nearly 30 patients being admitted to hospitals across the city this month, including three children.In his experience, it appeared that as the virus changed every year, it was becoming stronger and responsible for more severe inflammatory responses.The flu, he said, was also contributing to doctors treating more lung-related infections.Hausiku said he suspected that the virus was somehow related to the cold front which has swept the country and that it was being transmitted through the air rather than between people.Weder said while he had not noticed marked increases in the number of patients with the flu compared to last year, it appeared that people were getting hit by the flu later in the season.He recalled having treated more patients for the flu during May and June last year.Pathologist Dr Braam van Greunen of Pathcare Laboratories said it was difficult to determine whether there had in fact been an increase of flu among Namibians this season, as it is seldom tested for.Often he said patients could present flu-like symptoms, but could in fact be infected with other viruses which caused lung-related illnesses.Speaking from her surgery at the Rhino Park Hospital, Dr Nadine Agnew said many of the patients she had treated for the flu, returned to the practice a week or so later suffering from bacterial infections contracted as a result of the flu virus having weakened their immune systems.Doctors said it was possible to have contracted the flu even if patients had been vaccinated against it.The vaccines are developed abroad and might not contain the strain attacking people in southern Africa.