The Netherlands is currently navigating a mild flu epidemic. According to Nivel's latest surveillance data, 70 per 100,000 people are reporting flu-like symptoms, down from 86 per 100,000 last week.
A flu epidemic is officially declared when flu-like illness exceeds 51 cases per 100,000 inhabitants for longer than 14 days. Nivel classifies the current wave as a mild epidemic.
Read more about the flu season here
Flu cases are reported across all regions, with general practitioners (GPs) primarily seeing young children aged 0-4 years presenting flu-like symptoms. Common signs include a rapidly rising fever, headache, severe sore throat, cough, muscle pain, and occasionally nausea or diarrhea.
Swine flu?
In 58 percent of nose and throat samples tested by GPs, a flu virus was detected. Among these positive cases, 59 percent involved swine flu (H1N1), while 41 percent were standard seasonal influenza.
All about the flu and swine flu
There are no signs that either virus strain is growing more aggressive, and severe cases remain comparable to typical flu epidemic winters.
