Flu Cases In Japan Decline In Highlight After Barbie Hsu Dies On Vacation

JAKARTA - Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu died after experiencing flu complications that led to pneumonia during her holiday in Japan, on Monday, February 3. She died at the age of 48.

Quoting from Dimsum Daily, on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, Barbie Hsu experienced flu symptoms while enjoying Chinese New Year celebrations on January 29. He was then taken to the hospital twice, but his condition worsened rapidly.

The Shancai actor in the drama Meteor Garden later died of complications from influenza, which has grown to pneumonia in a hospital in Tokyo. Barbie Hsu's death made cases of flu disease in Japan reap the spotlight.

Flu cases in Japan were indeed soaring and reached a record high in December 2024. This condition even makes local pharmacies and hospitals experience a shortage of flu drugs.

Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases estimates that from September 2, 2024 to January 26, 2025, there were around 9,523 million flu cases recorded. The last week of December 2024 was the peak of weekly flu cases in Japan.

It was recorded that around 317,812 patients were reported, of which this number exceeded the government's warning threshold. This number has also been the highest since Japan's flu case recording began in 1999.

To overcome this outbreak, local health officials have appealed to residents to take precautions. Such as wearing a mask or washing hands properly.

In addition to the flu, Japan is also struggling with a surge in bird flu outbreaks. This outbreak even led to the culling of about 5 million birds in five Japanese prefectures in January.

Barbie Hsu