TOKYO, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said Friday that the nation is contending with a flu epidemic with a record-high number of patients being diagnosed last week.

According to the ministry, an average of 57.09 patients were diagnosed with influenza last week at each medical facility conducting tests for the virus, with the figures gathered for the seven days through Sunday being the highest number since data gathering on the virus began in 1999.

The figure compares with a per-institution peak logged last winter of 54.33, the ministry said, adding that around 2.23 million people have been diagnosed with influenza in the recording period, an increase of around 100,000 cases from the previous week.

The ministry said that 3,205 patients have been hospitalized due to influenza of which 628 are in a severe condition, with the numbers comparing to peaks last winter of 2,050 patients being hospitalized of which 379 cases were severe.

In total, the number of people thought to have been affected by the virus across the country is estimated at being around 7.64 million people, with the data being based on 5,000 medial institutions nationwide designated to collect figures for the government. Enditem

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