Top doctor says Doncaster IS NOT a hotspot for deadly 'Aussie flu'

The Daily Mail said the town had eight recorded cases of the deadly virus - also known as H3N2 - after the strain arrived from Down Under.

The newspaper cited flu-tracker Fluserv - which allows people to register and upload a case of flu on an interactive map.

Town health bosses admitted both GP practices and NHS community teams are 'very busy' with respiratory infections but rubbished claims of the 'Australian' strain in Doncaster saying their is 'no evidence'.

Public Health England's latest flu report, for the week up to Christmas Eve, revealed nine people were been admitted to intensive care or a high dependency unit with H3N2. Five more were in hospital.

The areas in which the cases were reported were not identified.

The strain of the disease has affected up to 170,000 people in Australia - more than two-and-a-half times last year's total - with over 300 reported to have died.

Dr Suckling on the data told The Star and Free Press: "Flusurv is an experimental way of tracking influenza like illnesses by individuals uploading information.

"From the map it looks like Doncaster is a hot spot. Public Health England tracks seasonal flu activity in a number of more established ways including laboratory diagnoses and activity in a sample of GP practices.

"From that information there's no evidence that Doncaster is a hotspot for influenza like illnesses.

"There's also no evidence as to how many of the influenza like illnesses are the 'Australian' type.

"Although primary care and secondary care are both very busy with respiratory infections it is not 'Australian' flu'".