BRISBANE: The influenza virus has hit Australia hard this winter with Queensland recording the highest number of cases in the country.
The Influenza Specialist Group (ISG) said on Wednesday more than 5,000 cases of the H3N2 and Type B strains have been diagnosed across Australia, Xinhua news agency reported.
Experts are warning there is worse to come and this is only the tip of the iceberg as thousands more cases go undiagnosed.
ISG said Queensland is the worst affected state with 2,536 diagnosed cases, while New South Wales is next with 2,391.
Children under nine years old have been the hardest hit by the virus and the number of elderly people and those between 35 and 44 years old contracting the virus has also increased.
ISG Chair Dr Alan Hampson said the fact that the H3N2 and the Type B strains had not been prominent in the community for the past few years could increase this season's severity among high-risk groups.
"Typically we can expect to see more deaths and hospital admissions," Hampson said. - Bernama
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