Taiwanese star Barbie Hsu’s sudden death from influenza-related pneumonia during a trip to Japan has shone the spotlight on the flu outbreak in the country.
The 48-year-old, who had a history of epilepsy and heart disease, had travelled to Japan during the Chinese New Year holiday, when she contracted the flu, which later led to pneumonia and her unfortunate passing.
Following her death, “Barbie Hsu’s Passing” quickly dominated the top ten trending searches on Weibo.
“Japanese Flu” also appeared on the trending list.
As Japan is a top travel destination for Chinese and Taiwanese tourists, the flu outbreak has sparked heated discussions online, with questions about the illness and its severity.
What kind of flu is this? Why is it so severe?
Influenza is a respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses.
There are four types of influenza viruses: types A, B, C and D, with A being the most common.
It usually appears during the flu season and has been known to cause pandemics.
Influenza A accounted for about 98 per cent of flu cases during the recent outbreak in Japan, followed by Influenza B. Barbie was said to have been down with Influenza A.
It can be spread through respiratory droplets dispersed into the air – such as when an infected person coughs and sneezes – or when someone touches his nose or mouth after touching a contaminated surface.
Symptoms include fever, chills, sore throat, cough, muscle pain and fatigue.
Influenza B, which has similar symptoms, is more common in children and usually causes milder illness.
Influenza C viruses are not commonly detected and usually cause mild infections, and D mainly affect cattle and are not known to spread to humans.
Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases estimated that from September 2, 2024, to January 26, 2025, the country recorded approximately 9.523 million flu cases.
According to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, flu cases hit a record high in the last week of 2024 (Dec 23-29).
The average number of flu cases per designated medical institution was 64.39 — nearly three times higher than the same period last year.
This figure dropped to 11.06 between January 20-26, 2025.
Japanese medical experts warned that, based on past trends, Influenza B could see another wave of infections, advising both locals and tourists to continue taking preventive health measures.
Photos: Barbie Hsu/Instagram