Biggest flu outbreak in nine years

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Family doctors are seeing 69 people with flu symptoms for every 100,000 population according to figures released this week.

The rate has shot up almost three-quarters from the 40 people per 100,000 that doctors were seeing the previous week.

The biggest rise was in the 65-plus age group which saw a huge increase of 151%, from 18 people per 100,000 population to 45.

Douglas Fleming, a director at the RCGP's Birmingham Research Unit, said: "The recent increase is suggestive of an influenza outbreak greater than any seen in the last eight years." He said rates had increased in all regions.

The number of people seeing their doctor with flu-like symptoms was highest in the 15 to 44 age group (80 per 100,000 population), up 47% on the previous week.

The next largest group was those aged 45 to 64 (76 per 100,000 population), which saw an increase of 122%. There was a 64% rise in the five to 14 age group to 50 children per 100,000 population and a slightly smaller increase of 61% for children aged four and below (to 57 per 100,000 population).

The Department of Health's director of immunisation, Professor David Salisbury, said: "Flu has started earlier this year than last year and the figures show an increase in the number of people consulting their GPs with flu-like illnesses.

"If you think you have flu, stay at home, drink plenty of fluids and take medicines like aspirin or paracetamol for your symptoms."

Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said: "In recent years the Government has rather complacently assumed that winter crises don't happen any more but it has not been since 1999 that we have seen a serious flu outbreak over the winter."