Flu strikes 32 a day

INFLUENZA has struck down more than 32 Queenslanders each day this year, with 21 people having been admitted to intensive care units for the potentially deadly.

The statistics join comments from Brisbane doctor Deb Mills from Dr Deb the Travel Doctor who said that travellers were contributing to Queensland’s alarming rates of influenza.

Between January 1 and February 11, Queensland Health recorded 1377 confirmed cases of the flu. For the same period last year, there were 1252 cases and on average just 674 cases for the same period in 2013 to 2016.

So far this year, the highest number of cases have been in areas with the largest populations, with Metro North, Metro South and the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service recording 314, 359 and 168, respectively.