Health Protection Agency Begins Winter Flu Activity Reporting

Health Protection Agency resumes its winter monitoring of flu activity in the UK. The flu season runs from October to May and, depending on the level of flu across the UK, an update will be published on the Agency's website either weekly or fortnightly.

The aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current situation in relation to flu including:

* The level of flu activity occurring - for example, are we experiencing normal seasonal activity or higher than average activity?

* The strains of the flu virus that are circulating - for example, are we seeing any new or unexpected strains? Do the flu strains differ to those included in this year's flu vaccine?

* The situation elsewhere in Europe and around the world

One of the main ways the Agency monitors flu activity is through the Royal College of General Practitioners' (RCGP) weekly returns service. This scheme takes a sample of GP practices from around the country and determines the number of people consulting their GP with influenza-like illness. The definitions for the level of activity used are as follows:

* Baseline activity (less than 30 consultations per 100,000 people in the population)

* Normal seasonal activity (between 30 and 200 consultations per 100,000)

* Epidemic activity (more than 200 consultations per 100,000)

Professor John Watson, Head of the Respiratory Diseases Department for the Agency, said: "It is important that we monitor flu activity week by week throughout the season so that we can assess how flu levels are changing and which viruses are circulating. Flu is in many ways an unpredictable virus and we are unable to say how much flu we will see in any winter or exactly when it will reach its peak. Currently, flu activity is well below "baseline level" meaning there is very little virus circulating.

"For most people flu, though unpleasant, is not life-threatening. Symptoms can include a headache, fever, cough, sore throat, and aching muscles and joints. If you get flu, our advice would be to stay at home, rest, drink plenty of fluids and use over-the-counter remedies if they make you feel more comfortable.

"Antibiotics do not act against the flu, because it is a viral infection. Taking them unnecessarily will not speed up the recovery time and will only increase resistance of bacteria to antibiotics.