British GPs reported a sharp increase in patients seeking treatment for flu-like symptoms last week, according to figures released yesterday.
The GP reports are being closely monitored for fear that the UK could experience the kind of epidemic that struck Australia during its winter earlier this year.
They show high rates of consultation in Scotland and medium levels in England.
The analysis shows the virus striking the elderly in Scotland at especially high levels.
In England, according to Public Health England’s weekly report, the rate of consultation reached 18.4 per 100,000 people – compared with 11 a week earlier. The analysis suggests that overall levels remain low but there are increasing numbers of local outbreaks.
The analysis shows Hampshire, Cambridgeshire and Merseyside as among the areas with highest levels of flu in England. Hospitals in Cambridge declared an outbreak last week. But neighbouring counties such as Dorset and Lincolnshire reported very few cases.
According to the analysis, the level of GP consultations remains well short of the numbers during the winter of 2010 to 2011.
The agency reports that there were 34 outbreaks of acute respiratory illness in the last seven days – seven in hospitals and 26 in care homes. Five outbreaks tested positive for influenza B and four for influenza A (H3).
Public Health England reports: “Influenza activity continues to increase for several indicators, in particular the proportion of laboratory samples positive for influenza in primary and secondary care and influenza admissions to hospital and intensive care.
“Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) has reached peak activity and is now decreasing.”
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