Outbreak of flu-like illness among workers in a construction workers’ accommodation |29 September 2023

The Ministry of Health was alerted on September 27, 2023 of an increase in the number of flu-like illness cases presenting at some of its facilities.

Upon investigation it was found that there was a cluster of 65 cases of a flu-like illness among a group of construction workers in the North of Mahé. The company employs 113 workers.

Based on information available there is no link of the outbreak with overseas travel.

The construction workers have been treated according to their symptoms and presentation, and are being isolated at their residence.

There has not been any hospital admission and those who developed symptoms earlier have already recovered. All work at the construction site has been halted.

The workers have all tested negative for Covid-19 and samples sent to the laboratory for further analysis have detected influenza type B. Compared to influenza type A, it tends to cause less severe illness.

Press release from the Ministry of Health