Influenza has officially reached the level of an epidemic, dpa quoted an official at Hungary"s National Epidemiological Centre as announcing at a conference today. More than 22,000 people reported flu symptoms over the past week, up 30 per cent from the previous week, said Agnes Csohan, quoted by the local news agency MTI. Lab tests carried out on a sample of sufferers in the past week have revealed that roughly one in three cases involved the new A/H1N1 swine flu virus, Chief Medical Officer Ferenc Falus said. Falus advised employers not to hold any pre-Christmas parties, as they could increase the spread of the virus. The government announced on Tuesday plans to set up 200 inoculation centres across the country in a bid to improve access to the A/H1N1 vaccine. Thirty centres should begin operation on a trial basis this week. More than 30 kindergartens and schools in Hungary have seen large numbers of pupils and staff showing influenza symptoms. Five have been closed down. So far Hungary has seven confirmed cases of death involving the new A/H1N1 infection, with most of the victims belonging to high-risk groups.
