Flu hotspots map shows 'very high' reports in parts of South Tyneside as Aussie flu strain hits UK

Red indicated a "very high" level of reports.

The interactive map shows the areas with the worst outbreaks of the illness reported.

Updated every three minutes, the map shows all types of the flu bug, including the potentially deadly Aussie flu strain which has arrived in the UK.

The map indicates a gradient of no reports (blue) to "very high reports" (red) of all types of flu as reported by users.

The map shows the Whitburn and Marsden areas in red, the highest category, with South Shields, Jarrow, Hebburn and the rest of South Tyneside also fairly high.

Users upload reports themselves, and the data from the FluSurvey map is used by scientists at Public Health England and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

How does your area compare? You can zoom in on your area by clicking here.

Public health officials have warned people who are eligible for a free flu vaccine to get it ‘without delay’.

People should recover from normal flu within a week or so, although some symptoms like a cough can last longer. If you are still ill after seven days, it is a possible indication of a more serious sickness.