Global General

Special

Newsmaker

Asia Pacific

America

Middle East

Europe

Africa

25 mln people to be infected with new flu in Japan

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-08-28 20:16

TOKYO: An estimated 25 million people, or roughly 20 percent of the Japanese population will become infected with A(H1N1) influenza, said the health, labor and welfare Ministry on Friday.

Related readings:  Many health workers won't take swine flu vaccine  A (H1N1) flu outbreak could last 200 weeks  No flu vaccines before mid-October, CDC predicts  Public urged not to panic over H1N1 flu

According to the ministry, around 380,000 people, or 1.5 percent of the new-flu cases, are likely to be hospitalized while another 40,000 people, or 0.15 percent, are projected to develop serious symptoms like encephalopathy or need to be aided by respirators.

The ministry also predicted that the peak of the epidemic will come around late September to early October in Japan.