IRISH health experts have said 24 people have died from flu in Ireland so far this season.
In the latest figures from the Health Service Executive Dr Kevin Kelleher said the majority of those would have had underlying health problems, but some did not.
Dr Kelleher, the HSE’s Assistant National Director of public health, said the deaths took place across all age groups but he did not give any more details of exact ages.
He said their latest information suggests flu cases have either peaked last week or will peak this week.
Dr Kelleher also said that this flu season, which began before Christmas, is the fifth worst in 17 years.
He also said there is an increase in activity in hospitals and ICU admissions because of flu, with around 1,000 hospital admissions including some children.
Previously, the HSE released a map showing the spread of the flu virus throughout Ireland.
The flu map of Ireland. (Picture: HSE)Two strains of the virus - Influenza B and A - are co-circulating and there is also more influenza B that is normally seen at this time of the year.
A total of 367 people were hospitalised in Ireland the first week of January, the HSE said.
At the start of the month, there were 535 confirmed cases of people being hospitalised with influenza, mostly among the over 65s and new-borns.
