WARNING OF WORST FLU EPIDEMIC IN 50 YEARS

HOSPITALS are bracing themselves for the worst flu epidemic in 50 years with news that the strain sweeping the UK has claimed lives in Ireland.

One expert warned this could be the worst winter since the Hong Kong flu epidemic of 1968.

Though the number of flu-related deaths in Ireland is under 10, 73 people have been treated in hospital and Irish health experts are urging people to get vaccinated.

UK Government statistics show that 1,111 people were struck down with flu last week – a 156 per cent jump on the previous seven days.

The sharp rise has been triggered by the unusual case of two aggressive subtypes attacking the population, according to data from Public Health England. Usually just one subtype, either influenza A or B, attacks during the flu season.

Defence

But this year Britain has been hit by so-called “Aussie flu” a strain of influenza A which wreaked havoc on hospitals in Australia during their winter.

The H3N2 subtype triggered twoand-a-half times the normal number of cases in Australia and some A&E departments reported “standing room only” as they were swamped by more than 100,000 cases.

Britain’s flu season tends to mirror what happens there.

In September, Professor Robert Dingwall, a public health expert at Nottingham Trent University, told the Daily Express it was “inevitable” Aussie flu would reach Britain and could be deadly.

He said: “Public Health England should be working with local authorities and health services to ensure more hospital beds are freed up.

“We need to be prepared, alert and flexible.

“This is potentially the worst winter Warning… Professor Robert Dingwall since the Hong Kong flu of 1968.” A subtype of influenza B is proving equally virulent with figures for last week showing 522 cases of influenza A and 546 of influenza B recorded across England and Wales.

The NHS is already struggling to cope with a soaring number of cases of norovirus, or winter vomiting bug.

About 2,117 people have been infected with norovirus since July and the outbreak has seen a steady weekon-week rise since October.

Nick Phin, of PHE, said: “Flu activity, as measured by a number of different systems, has continued to increase in the past week or two.

“This is to be expected as the season progresses and at this point the numbers are in keeping with previous years.

“The circulating flu strains match those in the current flu vaccine, so the vaccine remains the best defence against the virus.”

However, researchers predict that the flu vaccine may be only 20 per cent effective this winter, just as it turned out to be last year.