Seasonal flu has claimed 48 lives in Bosnia's Republika Srpska entity since late January until now, according to the Public Healthcare Institute, which recorded three deaths caused by flu in the past three days.

“As expected, the influenza virus has been less and less active which corresponds to the estimated epidemiologic situation for this week and the period we're in,” said the Institute, adding that its staff is closely following the situation as well as the information provided by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The last three patients were mid-aged and elderly with many comorbidities and positive to the influenza A virus, the Clinical Centre of Banja Luka confirmed.

The RS healthcare institutions earlier issued a warning over the use of antibiotics, pointing out that they treat bacterial and not viral infections which includes flu.