The number of swine flu cases reported in Malta in the first few weeks of the new year is already more than double the entire total for 2015.

This was confirmed by a health ministry spokeswoman who told this newspaper that in January alone, the number of cases reached 97.

As for the first two weeks of this month, the ministry said that the numbers were “slightly higher” but no figures were divulged.

The Health Ministry is stressing that the situation is “under control”, saying the threat the A(H1N1) swine flu virus posed in 2009 had subsided, to the point that it could be treated like the common cold.

A spokeswoman suggested the bigger numbers could be the result of “more accurate” testing thanks to better equipment at the virology laboratory.

She also allayed fears of an outbreak at Mater Dei Hospital, saying the increased diagnostic capabilities allowed the management to institute infection control measures, thereby safeguarding other hospitalised patients from infection.

The ministry noted that from the record 80,000 influenza vaccinations procured by the government this year, 72,835 had been administered.

The spokeswoman was replying to questions sent by the Times of Malta in the wake of a recent World Health Organisation warning that Malta, along with Belarus, Greece and Ireland, had reported “high-intensity influenza activity”.

The organisation said that several European countries had an increasing number of swine flu cases. This type of virus was detected in those countries which had reported laboratory-confirmed influenza cases in hospitals and intensive care units. In the majority of cases those affected were aged between 15 and 64 years.

Figures released by the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response system – a WHO entity which monitors the spread of the virus and also acts as a global alert mechanism – show that cases of swine flu in Malta peaked in the last week of January.

According to this data, a total of 382 specimens were taken, of which 89 were confirmed as being A(H1N1) cases. Further analysis revealed that in the last week of January, there were 37 confirmed cases, which is more than last year’s entire total (34 – and most of those were in December), and those of 2014 (31). In its reply the health ministry made an upward revision of this monthly total to 97.

Two weeks ago there were fears of a potential swine flu outbreak at the Corradino prisons after several inmates contracted the virus, two of who died after being admitted to hospital.

In a statement, the Home Affairs Ministry yesterday said the situation at the prisons was back to normal, as no new cases had surfaced in the preceding week.

It added that an inmate who had to be admitted to hospital was no longer in the intensive treatment unit as his condition had improved.

Reported swine flu cases in Malta*

*Source: WHO (Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System)

** January’s total figure according to Health Ministry data was of 97