New ‘Brisbane flu’ is among the ‘most dangerous’ strains in the world

Have you heard of it?

We all knew someone who was dosed with the Australian flu over the winter and now there's a new disease from Down Under to be aware of. The so-called 'Brisbane flu' originated in the Aussie city and has just been named as one of the most dangerous in the world by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Australia has been badly hit by the flu recently. Up to 1100 people in the country died from the disease last year. “It does reflect the fact that last year’s flu season in Queensland was a particularly bad one," Australian Medical Association president Michael Gannon told Australian website News.com.au. "However, it is just a name and the truth is that influenza is always dangerous and it is constantly mutating and changing." There are concerns that the flu epidemic there will get worse before it gets better as the winter hasn't yet started in Australia. Flu viruses change and mutate constantly in order to survive. The best way to prevent contracting the disease is by maintaining good hygiene habits such as hand washing. It's also important that groups who are particularly vulnerable to the flu, including the elderly, young children, people with underlying diseases and healthcare workers, get vaccinated every year at the beginning of flu season.