Summer flu situation 'stable' in China, health authority says

The flu situation on the Chinese mainland has remained stable this summer, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said on Thursday.

Song Shuli, spokeswoman for the commission, said the prevalence of flu in northern China has remained low compared with the past three summers, while in most parts of the south, the level has stayed about average.

The level has been slightly higher than average in Guangdong province, which neighbors Hong Kong, where 324 flu-related deaths were recorded between May 5 and Aug 6, Song said.

However, she added that the province has seen a decline in new infections for the past three weeks.

The most common influenza virus this year has been H3N2, the same as previous years, and there is no indication the strain has mutated, she added.