New South Wales has been home to more than half of the exceptionally-high number of flu cases recorded in Australia so far this year, according to government data.
The number of influenza cases confirmed by a laboratory has soared above the five-year average since mid-April, the Australian Influenza Surveillance Report has revealed.
Almost 30,000 cases were reported at the beginning of June this year, compared to the five-year average, which has around 2000 cases being recorded in the same week.
There were a total of 187,431 cases of the flu reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) in Australia up until July 3.
A whopping 100,851 of them have been recorded in NSW – marking three times the amount recorded in any other state.
Victoria has had the second highest number of cases, with 33,342, following by Queensland, where there have been 32,231 cases.
While national flu cases soared above average in May and June, the number of cases being reported has dropped off in recent weeks.
Since April, there there have been 1323 hospital admissions due to the flu, of which 6.5 per cent have been taken directly to intensive care.
There have been 113 influenza-associated deaths reported this year.
However the report has advised that further investigation is required to determine the accurate death-rate of the flu this year.
Hospital systems around the country are under strain amid the high number of flu cases, coupled with rising COVID-19 cases.
Free flu shots have been offered in most states, while Australians are being advised to wear masks in public to prevent spread of the flu and COVID-19.
