Swine flu is currently on the rise in Germany. According to the Robert Koch Institute, the corona numbers are declining.
Munich – What would a winter be without a wave of flu? According to the latest report from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), this is already rolling through Germany. Influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 viruses were also found in the samples. That means it's swine flu, which is currently spreading. In rare cases, an infection can be fatal for children.
Swine flu is spreading: vomiting and diarrhea can result
Like other influenza diseases, swine flu circulates seasonally in Germany, “most recently clearly in the 2018/19 season,” according to the RKI. This subtype first appeared during the flu pandemic in 2009. It goes on to say that when influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 viruses dominate in flu waves – as is the case now – so far “very serious illnesses and deaths have also occurred in younger adults and children”. This is the case “particularly when underlying diseases are present”. However, such severe cases are rare in young people.
These people are considered particularly at risk:
- Children
- Pregnant women
- Elderly people
- People with previous illnesses, including chronic heart and lung diseases, metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, immune deficiencies, neurological or neuromuscular diseases or severe obesity
Dem Lung Information Service of the Helmholtz Center in Munich According to this, the swine flu virus – like the coronavirus – can be transmitted via droplet infection and when shaking hands. Even eight days after the fever had subsided, live swine flu viruses could still be detected in the blood.
The first symptoms appear after one to four days and are similar to those of a normal flu. In addition to a sudden high fever, loss of appetite, a runny nose, but also a sore throat, cough and muscle and body aches are mentioned. Unlike normal flu, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea can also result.
Danger of swine flu? Every fifth sample contains the virus
The RKI report further explains that 140 samples were sent to the National Reference Center for Influenza Viruses in the first seven days of the year. Respiratory viruses were identified in 78 of them, or 56 percent. This means that 177 samples with influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 were discovered within five weeks – and exactly one in five samples contains the virus.
Furthermore, the RKI received 5,852 cases of viral infections in the first reporting week of 2024 until the report was published. These were exclusively laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infections. This continues the rising trend. 24 percent of cases involved hospitalizations.
Swine flu continues to develop
The H1N1 pathogen was first detected in pigs in 1930. Humans and pigs are similarly vulnerable to viruses, which is why transmissions have occurred repeatedly in the past. Since subtype A has evolved and its genes come from different viruses, it is now also possible for people to infect other people with swine flu.
Influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 was detected in 119 cases. This means that there have already been 619 infections since the 40th reporting week in 2023. The majority of cases with influenza A – namely 20,342 – were not subtyped, so the subtype of the virus was not examined in more detail. A new and rare swine flu variant was discovered at the end of November.
Swine flu wave and more respiratory diseases in Germany
The flu wave began at the end of 2023, as the RKI reports. According to this, around one in ten people was considered sick in the 50th calendar week, i.e. in the run-up to Christmas. The current incidence of acute respiratory diseases is currently around 4.6 million. This is a significant decrease compared to December. However, the value is above the previous year's level.
The good news: According to the RKI, there is increasing evidence that the coronavirus is reversing in Germany. This has been evident since the 51st calendar week of 2023. In the first calendar week of 2024 – from January 1st to 7th – only 14 percent of people admitted to hospital with severe acute respiratory infections received a Covid-19 diagnosis. The virus, which dominated for more than two years and resulted in severe restrictions on public life, is apparently moving more and more into the background.
Before the start of winter, 24 different variants of the coronavirus were circulating in Germany. The RKI also reported on a new corona variant that caused atypical symptoms.
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