Rise in Birmingham flu symptoms indicates outbreak

Dec 24 2008 by Andy Richards, Birmingham Mail

THE biggest flu outbreak for eight years could be on its way, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) warned after a 73 per cent rise in people seeing their doctor with flu-like symptoms.

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 doctors were seeing the previous week.

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 eight years.”

He said rates increased in all age groups and regions.

The numbers seeing a doctor with flu-like symptoms was highest in the 15 to 44 age group (80 per 100,000 population), followed by the 45 to 64 age group (76).