Aussie flu: Deadly infection to be worse than Spanish flu that killed about 50 million?

Aussie flu symptoms include fever, headaches, muscles aches and fatigue.

The lethal H3N2 Aussie flu virus travelled to the UK from Australia, and has now been spotted in the US.

Exactly 100 years ago, Spanish flu began spreading across the globe.

The Spanish outbreak – which is considered the most deadly flu pandemic in modern history – subsequently infected about a third of the world’s population, and killed about 50 million people.

Both Aussie flu and Spanish flu have similarities, warned pharmacist and Jakemans expert, Marvin Munzu.

“Both are strength A, which is the worst form of flu. They can affect 30-40 year olds, not just the elderly and children,” Munzu told Express.co.uk.

“Symptoms [of Spanish flu] had a very rapid onset, meaning you could be healthy in the morning and then all a sudden could be very ill.

“The most important similarity is that people could have secondary complications. For example, back in 1918, people caught pneumonia or septicaemia as a result the flu and that is what killed them.

“This is likely to be due to the lack of facilities, antibiotics and vaccines available.”

Modern medicine has, however, advanced significantly since 1918, so it’s unlikely that as many people will die from the complications of flu, he said.

Aussie flu symptoms are more severe than those of normal flu, and tend to last longer.

The H3N2 flu virus could also lead to pneumonia, just like the Spanish flu virus.

Both viruses share similar symptoms too, Munzu said.

“Spanish flu is quite like other strains of the flu,” he said.

“Symptoms include fever, headaches, muscle ache, fatigue, sore throats and coughs. It is ‘Strain A’ of flu, so it is similar to Aussie and French flu.”

But, there are more treatments available today to tackle flu infections, the pharmacist said.

So – thankfully – Aussie flu is unlikely to infect and kill as many people as the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, Munzu added.

“Today there are a lot more treatments, vaccinations and antibiotics to help prevent catching flu,” he said.

Eighty-five people have died from flu in the UK since October 5, according to latest Public Health England figures.

The number of infections is still expected to continue rising, it said.