Romania reports first influenza death of the season

The National Institute of Public Health (INSP) has reported the first flu-related death of the current season in Romania. The deceased was a man under the age of 65 from Cluj County. He had not received the influenza vaccine and had underlying medical conditions. Laboratory tests confirmed he was infected with influenza type A, though the specific subtype is still being identified.

Regarding broader respiratory trends, the INSP reported 82,363 cases of respiratory infections—including clinical influenza, acute upper respiratory infections, and pneumonia—between October 5 and October 11, 2026. This represents a 2.7% increase from the previous week, although it is 2.8% lower than the same period last year.

Clinical influenza cases reached 201 nationwide, a slight decrease from the 210 cases reported the prior week and significantly lower than the 296 cases recorded during the same week last season. Additionally, 12 laboratory-confirmed influenza cases were identified, including AH1, unsubtyped A, and B strains, along with 12 cases of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI).