As of the end of last week, nine new Mexican flu deaths were reported to the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM),
These nine cases bring the total number of victims of the A(H1N1) virus to 20 since October. In the third week of this year, the number of hospital admissions went up by 111 confirmed cases to a total of 399.
The RIVM says it wants to scrap the term 'Mexican flu' because it suggests that it poses a major risk to public health, while it's actually just a normal seasonal flu.
The Nivel research bureau says the number of regular flu cases still meets the definition of a minor epidemic. In the third week of January, 105 out of every 100,000 people in the Netherlands visited their GPs with flu symptoms. It was the third consecutive week to meet the criteria of a minor epidemic, which is defined as more than 51 out of every 100,000 people visiting their doctor with the flu.
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