Newspapers are reporting that the H1N1 influenza virus has reached epidemic level in Japan. Although some cases have been identified as typical flu infections, it is suspected that most of the current flu cases are of the H1N1 strain. Health concerns became especially heightened this past week, as Japan witnessed its first few swine flu deaths.

Naturally, the entertainment industry has not been able to avoid the flu. Among those infected are Maximum the Hormone vocalist Ryo Kawakita (reported last week) and actor Takeru Sato, though only the former was identified as having the H1N1 strain. This week, several more cases were publicly reported, including members of baseball team Nippon Ham Fighters and idol group AKB48.

Four players and one coach for the Nippon Ham Fighters were diagnosed with influenza A, with two of them being the H1N1 strain. The five of them have been placed in isolation.

Six AKB48 members have been sidelined - Team K's Manami Oku and Asuka Kuramochi, Team B's Aika Ohta and Haruka Kohara, and kenkyuusei members Haruka Ishida and Sumire Sato. They have all been diagnosed with influenza A, though it has not been said whether any of them are H1N1 cases. As a result, they will not participate in an AKB48 event at the Nippon Budokan this weekend.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong's entertainment industry was also recently hit, as singer Stephy Tang was confirmed to be infected with the H1N1 virus.