Flu on the rise in Europe

For the last week in December, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway reported medium intensity transmission of influenza, health officials said. A report by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said the week before -- Christmas week -- only France and Luxembourg had reported medium activity. The 2009 H1N1 strain of flu was more prevalent in Europe than in the United States. Influenza activity was reported widespread by Belgium, Denmark, France, Norway and England; influenza was reported regionally by Italy, the Netherlands and Scotland, while flu was reported locally by the Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland and Northern Ireland. Sporadic influenza was reported by Estonia, Greece, Lithuania and Spain. Increasing influenza trends were reported by: Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and the United Kingdom. For the Netherlands and Norway, it was the first time increasing trends have been reported this season, while stable trends in clinical activity were reported by eight countries and only Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia reported decreasing trends. The viruses are well matched to the vaccine strains, health officials said.