Cases of flu-like illness 50% higher this year

 (REUTERS/file photo)

MANILA, Philippines — Cases of influenza-like-illness (ILI) rose by 50 percent this year compared to the same period last year, Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Eric Tayag said on Thursday. 

 “Since the start of the year, the number of cases has increased, in fact it’s 50 percent higher than last year,” Tayag said over CNN Philippines interview.

Tayag said to date, the Philippines has close to 200,000 cases of ILI. 

According to Tayag, the reported ILIs are either influenza type A or type B, while others tested positive for COVID-19.

Influenza type A and B viruses circulate and cause seasonal epidemics, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The WHO said that type-A flu is further classified into subtypes which have previously caused pandemics like the swine flu or H1N1, while  the type B is a type of influenza caused by viruses from the Victoria or Yamagata lineages.

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