Influenza is usually associated with winter, but this year it has once again made its presence felt in the middle of summer. In recent days, doctors in some of Greece’s most popular island destinations have reported an increase in cases, primarily among teenagers and young adults on vacation.
Crowded beach bars, nightclubs, ferries, and the narrow streets of island towns appear to be facilitating the spread of the virus. As a result, physicians at health centers on several popular islands have prescribed hundreds of antiviral treatments in recent weeks.
According to specialists, the appearance of influenza and other illnesses typically associated with winter is largely due to the extensive mixing of populations caused by seasonal travel. The latest epidemiological data from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that influenza activity is currently elevated in the Southern Hemisphere.
The highest levels of virus circulation have been recorded in Australia and New Zealand, while increasing activity has also been reported in countries including Brazil and Chile, where both influenza A and B strains are circulating. As a result, travelers arriving in Greece from, or having recently visited, those regions could potentially contribute to the virus’s spread into the Northern Hemisphere.
Epidemiologists traditionally monitor influenza activity in the Southern Hemisphere with particular attention during this time of year because it serves as one of the most important indicators of what may follow several months later in Europe. The data are used both for epidemiological surveillance and to determine which virus strains will be included in the next season’s influenza vaccines.
Vulnerable Groups and a “Mild Wave”
“Every year, a small percentage of people develop serious respiratory infections during the summer, particularly those who belong to vulnerable population groups. More specifically, upper and lower respiratory tract infections can have an epidemiological presence during the summer months, and cases of seasonal influenza may even be identified outside the usual flu season,” Dr. Stamatoula Tsikrika, a pulmonologist at Sotiria Hospital and president of the Hellenic Pulmonologists Association, told Ta Nea.
She cited data from Greece’s National Public Health Organization (EODY), which show that community positivity rates remained below 10% through early July. Even so, sporadic hospital admissions have been recorded since the beginning of the summer, although no new cases requiring treatment in an intensive care unit have been reported. The virus strains identified include both influenza A and influenza B.
Meanwhile, pediatricians, internists, and physicians at health centers in popular tourist destinations have observed what they describe as a “mild wave” of infections in recent weeks. Most patients are teenagers and young adults, a pattern doctors do not consider coincidental. Many of those infected go on to transmit the virus to friends during their vacations and later to family members after returning home, creating a limited chain of infections.
Symptoms and When to Seek Medical Care
According to Dr. Tsikrika, symptoms can range from very mild to severe and may include fever, chest pain, a productive or dry cough, a runny nose, muscle aches, sore throat, and hoarseness.
“In any case, if a fever persists, the cough is accompanied by discolored sputum, difficulty breathing, wheezing, or severe chest pain develops, patients should immediately seek medical attention or visit the nearest healthcare facility,” she said.
