Australia expects "quieter" winter flu season: WHO

Australia is expecting a "quieter" winter influenza season, however what occurred in the northern hemisphere winter may be an indicator.

It's very difficult to predict "what's going to happen" in any given Australian winter from the variable influenza virus, acting director of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Influenza at the Doherty Institute, Dr Ian Barr told an online briefing on Tuesday.

The United States had mainly pandemic viruses for a relatively moderate season, while in Europe they had pandemic viruses early, but later switched to Influenza B which dominated overall, Barr said.

"We're hoping for a quieter season for this year compared with 2014-15," Barr said.

"We had a very big (Influenza) B season (in 2015) and we don't have those very often, so looking towards what might happen going forward, it's probably more likely we'll have a H1N1 (subtype of Influenza A) pandemic virus circulating the majority of Australia this winter."

"That virus has been here before... and we would think that the current vaccine which has been available now for a month or two should cover that strain (that's been seen early in the season) fairly well."

Authorities are advocating the groups most at risk contracting influenza such as pregnant women, those with chronic illness and the elderly get the vaccine to stem any potential known risk to developing the illness.

Australian doctors have consistently stressed antibiotics do not work to stop virus-based illness, especially the common cough and cold typical of most households during the winter months.

The over use of antibiotics worldwide has caused the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the United States and Asia, some of which are now resistant to the world's strongest anti-biotic, Colinstin. Enditem