Insufficient humidity may be the cause of an influenza outbreak that led to the death of three female patients at a hospital in Machida, investigations by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government showed Sunday.
A total of 106 people have contracted influenza at Tsurukawa Sanatorium Hospital, up five from Saturday, city officials said. Among those who came down with bug, 82 were inpatients and 24 were hospital employees.
According to the Tokyo Bureau of Social Welfare and Public Health, its Machida office ordered the hospital to increase humidity levels in hospital rooms and take other measures to prevent the flu from spreading further.
It is believed that keeping the humidity levels in rooms at around 50 percent to 60 percent helps defeat the influenza virus.
The hospital reported the humidity level in rooms was only about 15 percent Tuesday when public health officials from the Machida office inspected the hospital.
The hospital tried to boost the humidity by hanging wet towels in rooms Wednesday when the officials visited for a second inspection.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is trying to identify the route of the outbreak.