Guadalajara, Mexico - According to Jalisco Health Secretariat Fernando Petersen Aranguren, a person suffering from influenza is at greater risk of serious complications if they also have chronic degenerative diseases such as obesity, diabetes or high blood pressure.

For ths reason, the agency encourages the population - especially those suffering from these types of diseases - to prevent influenza through vaccination.

Aranguren said that from March 3 to 9, 2019, seven new cases of influenza were reported, five of them of type AH1N1, one of type AH3N2 and one of type A. Three deaths were also reported, bringing this season's total to 23 deaths.

Of the total number of deaths, 78 percent (18 people) had some disease in addition to influenza, and 100 percent (23 people) had no history of vaccination.

In relation to the three deaths, two were notified by the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) and one by the SSJ. The patients were residents of the municipalities of Guadalajara, Ocotlán and La Barca.

The deceased were men of 31, 46 and 56 years of age, none of them had a history of vaccination and all suffered from influenza AH1N1. All three patients had other health issues, including obesity, high blood pressure, kidney failure and smoking.

To date, 132 cases of influenza have been reported in Jalisco during the 2018-2019 flu season. Fifty-five percent of those affected were female and the age group with the highest incidence is 40 years and over.

The municipalities with the highest number of patients are: Guadalajara 36, Tlaquepaque 21, Zapopan 21, Puerto Vallarta nine and Tonalá seven, which together account for 71 percent of confirmed cases.

The State of Jalisco ranks number 19 in the number of influenza cases nationally and #10 in flu-related deaths.