Study finds the virus kills 250 times more often than thought
Deaths from influenza are under-reported by about 250 times, University of Hong Kong scientists said yesterday.
They said the deaths could be avoided with better information about the dangers and the vaccination of more people at high risk.
The university's team of epidemiologists and virologists said there were more than 1,000 flu-related deaths each year, but just four were reported in 2000. The team estimated that 933 people aged 65 and over and 140 people under 65 died from flu each year.
Of the 1,073 deaths, 813 people died of pneumonia, pulmonary disease and heart attacks brought on by flu, the HKU researchers said.
The study, published in the December issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases scientific journal, is the first research to analyse flu patterns in a tropical area.
'Because of the lack of well-defined seasonal patterns in tropical areas, influenza may not be recognised in reported causes of death,' said Wong Chit-ming, associate professor of the university's department of community medicine.