KIEV, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- At least 33 people have died from flu in Ukraine as of Feb. 17 since the start of the current influenza season on Oct. 1, 2018, the country's health authorities said on Wednesday.
The government-run Center for Public Health said in a statement that five children under 17 years were among the victims.
Last week, some 517 cases of illness were recorded for every 100,000 people in Ukraine and influenza surpassed the epidemic level in eight regions in western, northern and southern parts of the country.
Since the start of the flu season, influenza has affected 9.4 percent of Ukraine's population, forcing the closure of many schools and kindergartens.
In January and February of 2016, the four-week epidemic of influenza in Ukraine has claimed the lives of 329 people.
