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Johannesburg - The winter flu season has started and the number of cases is expected to increase in the next two to three weeks, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases said on Friday.
The institute's Nombuso Shabalala said in a statement that the current number of flu cases was "low to moderate".
She said the influenza virus strains identified to date were mainly the usual seasonal influenza B strain and influenza A.
Only one case of the H1N1 viral strain, also known as swine-flu, had been isolated so far.
This was the strain which caused the flu pandemic in the first half of last year and was the predominant seasonal strain for the northern hemisphere winter, Shabalala said.
However, it was not very severe, nor did it show resistance to antiviral drugs.
It was still too early to say which strain would be dominant in South Africa.
"While the vast majority of illness due to influenza is uncomplicated, certain at-risk groups have been identified who may develop complications," she said.
Pregnant women, people with chronic lung disease, heart disease, diabetes and those who were HIV-infected or had other causes of immuno-suppression, as well as people over 65 were especially at risk.
Shabalala urged people in these groups to get vaccinated as soon as possible, since the vaccine took up to ten days to become effective.
She said although the vaccine was in short supply in the private sector, it could still be accessed through public health facilities or a number of private pharmacy chains.
The institute's Nombuso Shabalala said in a statement that the current number of flu cases was "low to moderate".
She said the influenza virus strains identified to date were mainly the usual seasonal influenza B strain and influenza A.
Only one case of the H1N1 viral strain, also known as swine-flu, had been isolated so far.
This was the strain which caused the flu pandemic in the first half of last year and was the predominant seasonal strain for the northern hemisphere winter, Shabalala said.
However, it was not very severe, nor did it show resistance to antiviral drugs.
It was still too early to say which strain would be dominant in South Africa.
"While the vast majority of illness due to influenza is uncomplicated, certain at-risk groups have been identified who may develop complications," she said.
Pregnant women, people with chronic lung disease, heart disease, diabetes and those who were HIV-infected or had other causes of immuno-suppression, as well as people over 65 were especially at risk.
Shabalala urged people in these groups to get vaccinated as soon as possible, since the vaccine took up to ten days to become effective.
She said although the vaccine was in short supply in the private sector, it could still be accessed through public health facilities or a number of private pharmacy chains.
