TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Over 100,000 people sought treatment for the flu in emergency rooms across Taiwan as the Type B influenza outbreak spreads in Taiwan, and as the first cost surge of the winter blasts Taiwan, the number of cases will probably continue to increase, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced at a press conference yesterday.

CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Liu Ting-ping (劉定萍) 101,364 people visited emergency rooms with flu-like symptoms between Dec. 31 and Jan. 6, a 4 percent increase over the previous week, reported CNA. Over the past four weeks, Liu said that there have been 31 cluster infections, of which, 21 (68 percent) occurred in schools.

Liu said that last week saw 21 patients reportedly develop severe complication from the flu, 19 of whom had not received vaccinations.

The latest death associated with the flu occurred when a 77-year-old man with cancer and other chronic disease contracted the Type B virus, according to CDC doctor Tsou Tsung-pei (鄒宗珮). Tsou said that the man had not been vaccinated for the current flu season and died from pneumonia after contracting the flu.

Since Oct. 1, there have been 119 confirmed severe influenza cases, of which 11 died, according to CDC data. Of the influenza-related deaths, two were attributed to the H3N2 virus, while nine were identified as having contracted the Type B virus, with 72 percent of all cases being determined to be caused by the Type B virus.

CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said that the sudden drop in temperatures caused by the latest cold surge in Taiwan will cause flu cases to increase and predicted that the outbreak will continue escalate next week, and continue on the rise for three or four weeks, with a possible peak in late January.

To prevent infection, Chuang said that everyone should pay attention to washing their hands, wearing a surgical mask, and observe proper coughing etiquette. Chuang advised those who believe that they have come down with the flu should seek medical treatment, including antiviral drugs, and should rest at home to avoid spreading the virus.

Currently, there are 100,000 doses of the free flu vaccine still available, and Chuang recommends that those who have not been vaccinated yet should go ahead and do so.

Experts say that though the current vaccines are targeting the wrong strain of the Type B virus, they can still offer 30 percent protection and are still recommended as they can reduce symptoms and death.

The WHO had recommended trivalent flu vaccines targeting the influenza A viruses (H1N1 and H3N2) and an influenza B virus of the Victoria lineage, but the majority of the flu cases this year in Taiwan are being caused by Type B of the Yamagata lineage.