Swine Flu Kills 12 in Russia as Illness Spreads Throughout Region

Swine flu has has been gaining ground across Russia, killing more than 12 people in the country since December, according to state news agency TASS. The majority of flu cases are caused by the A(H1N1) strain, commonly known as swine flu. Russia’s current epidemic is expected to peak in January and February, according to Russian Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova.d Four swine-flu related deaths were reported in Rostov, southern Russia, among 120 reported cases, according to the AFP news agency. Five people, including a child, died from the disease in Dagestan in southern Russia and two died in Yekaterinburg in the east and Adygea in the south. A swine flu case was also reported by Russian state media in the northern city of Novy Urengoy late last year. http://www.newsweek.com/swine-flu-kills-12-russia-417370