Key Points

The country is experiencing a flu season about a month earlier than last year. It is also the second earliest in 20 years, Japan Today reported, citing the health ministry.

“About 3,000 hospitals across the country reported a combined 4,030 flu patients”, the report said. Okinawa Prefecture reported the most patients per hospital, followed by Tokyo and Kagoshima.

The caseload has crossed the epidemic threshold, with an average of 1.04 patients per institution, the country’s health ministry stated.

More than 100 schools, kindergartens, and childcare centres have been closed due to outbreaks among children.

Flu season in Japan usually spans from December through March. The previous season started in early November and peaked in late December before it was deemed over in April.

In the wake of the rising cases, the ministry urged the general public to take precautions and follow measures, such as handwashing and wearing masks.

While the virus strain is not yet known, it recommended vaccination for vulnerable populations such as young children, the elderly, and anyone with underlying health conditions.

“The flu season has started really early this year, but in the changing global environment, this might become a more common scenario,” Yoko Tsukamoto, a professor at the Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, was quoted as saying to South China Morning Post.

Tsukamoto added that global travel and population movement may be accelerating the virus’s ability to adapt to new conditions.

“We are seeing a greater circulation of people, both in Japan and globally, with people taking the virus to new places, which is another factor behind the virus adapting to new environments,” Tsukamoto told the post.

She added that early flu seasons are also being reported in other countries.

- IANS