THIS map shows your risk of catching Aussie flu as the deadly virus spreads across the country – leaving at least 17 victims fighting for their lives.
A surge in infections has seen UK cases of the dangerous new H3N2 strain rocket by 48 per cent in a week as the NHS braces for one of the worst flu seasons in 50 years.
Plymouth, Doncaster and Durham are revealed as Aussie flu hot spots while other parts of the country have no recorded outbreaks, according to a map compiled by the FluSurvey website.
It relies on patients self-reporting so the true figure in each region is likely to be far higher.
The virus – which struck down an estimated 70,000 in Australia in their winter – has arrived here and has already left hundreds of sufferers in hospital – and claimed its first life in Ireland.
In the past week 17 people in England and Wales were admitted to intensive care, a government report revealed.
A further 112 people were admitted to non-emergency hospital wards, up from just five the week before.
In total there have been 1,078 hospital admissions with flu since October, with around a quarter due to the H3N2 strain which triggered two and a half times the usual number of flu cases in Australia.
The virus is said to have mutated, meaning flu vaccines are potentially less effective.
Some experts fear the virulent flu strain could prove as deadly as the Hong Kong flu in 1968, which killed one million people.
Public Health England revealed 1,649 people had been struck down with Aussie flu over the Christmas week, up almost half on the week before.
Across England, 4.5million people are said to have complained of flu-like symptoms.
Nearly seven in 100,000 sufferers ended up in hospital in the past week, three times as many as in the previous seven days. One in four admissions is due to the Aussie strain.
The crisis has forced more than 20 trusts to declare “black alerts” this week as the pressures on the NHS grow. GPs have warned their practices are also being overwhelmed.
OAPs, pregnant women and younger children are most vulnerable to the infection.
What are the symptoms of 'Aussie flu?'
Symptoms of Aussie flu are similar to those caused by normal flu, but they are more severe.
Here are some signs to look out for:
- Sore throat and cough
- Headache
- Fever
- Muscle ache
- Fatigue
- Runny nose and sneezing
People should recover from normal flu within a week so, although the cough and fatigue may last longer.
So if you’re still really ill after seven days, it’s a good indication of something more serious.
Aussie flu can lead to pneumonia and other potentially fatal complications.
Those most at risk are the over 65s, pregnant women, young kids and those with chronic conditions – like diabetes, lung and heart disease.
Last week, 24 people died from flu — half the total of 48 killed so far this winter.
Meanwhile figures today show flu cases in Scotland are more than double in the same period last year.
Around 46 in every 100,000 Scots had flu last week, compared with 22 in the same week at the end of 2016.
MOST READ IN NEWS
Virus jab might be pointless
By Nick McDermott, Health Editor
HEALTH chiefs admitted yesterday that people who have flu jabs may still end up getting the virus — but added it was still worth getting one.
Public Health England wrote to GPs to say the vaccine did not work against the most common strain of flu being found.
Traditional vaccines protect against three types of virus.
They are cheaper and more commonly used by NHS surgeries — but were not effective against 21 of the 25 influenza B strain case studies.
Last year’s jab was 66 per cent effective in children and 41 per cent in adults under 65, but offered next to no protection to older Brits.
A health official admitted the jab may not cover one of the strains but said: “Getting it is better than no protection at all.
Nick Phin of Public Health England said: “Flu activity, as measured by a number of different systems, has continued to increase in the last week or two.
“We are currently seeing a mix of flu types, including flu B and the A(H3N2) strain that circulated last winter in the UK and then in Australia.
“We see this H3N2 subtype in many flu seasons and the circulating flu strains match those in the current flu vaccines meaning they are still the best defence we have against the virus.”
Experts warned to expect the worst outbreak in 50 years back in September as the NHS urged all eligible Brits to get the free flu jab – but admitted it was too late to tweak the strains in their stockpile.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.