A Thai doctor on Tuesday urged Thai tourists to reconsider their travel plans to Japan, warning that the country has recorded 9.523 million cases of influenza over the past 144 days.
Dr Jade Boonyawongwiroj, assistant director of Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, advised that if travel to Japan is unavoidable, tourists should carry anti-influenza medication, such as Oseltamivir.
He noted that if Oseltamivir proves ineffective for certain patients, they may need to be treated with Favipiravir, which is also used for Covid-19 patients.
Jade described the influenza outbreak in Japan as severe, with an average of 66,132 new cases per day over the past 144 days.
He highlighted that several areas of Tokyo have high infection rates, with some hospitals refusing to admit patients who are not in serious condition.
The outbreak in Osaka is also concerning, he added. Between 29 January and 4 February, there was an average of 29.64 new cases per precinct in Osaka. Six precincts reported more than 30 cases, which is considered serious. Most cases have been caused by the influenza Type B virus, Jade noted.
Meanwhile, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare reported that the country experienced its largest influenza outbreak in 25 years during the week of 23–29 December 2024. The ministry recorded 317,812 influenza cases during this period—more than three times the number reported during the same week in 2023. This is also the highest number of cases recorded since the current record-keeping system was introduced in April 1999.