The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) recommends avoiding the term 'Mexican flu' because it implies a severe public health threat. In fact, the virus is similar to a typical seasonal flu.
With the flu epidemic underway in the Netherlands, media reports frequently mention swine flu. A RIVM spokesperson emphasized on Saturday that this suggests an undue alarm, as it is actually a common seasonal flu, responding to a Trouw newspaper article.
More about the current seasonal flu in the Netherlands
'Common' flu
The dominant strain in this flu season is H1N1, which first appeared in the Netherlands at the end of April 2009. Scientific assessments confirm that H1N1 is no more deadly than other flu viruses, leading to its reclassification as an 'ordinary' seasonal flu. Fewer deaths have occurred compared to an average flu epidemic.
Three virus strains are circulating this year: A strains H1N1 and H3N2, plus a B strain. According to RIVM data, 288 flu patients with H1N1 have been hospitalized, and 11 have died.
