Influenza epidemic passes through Top End

Doctors think it's the H1N1 strain of the virus, but it's not the same disease as the deadly swine flu that killed around 200,000 people worldwide in 2009.

Peter Markey, director of disease surveillance at the NT Disease Control Center, said the virus had evolved in the decade after the pandemic.

Dr. Markey said it was unusual to get an influenza outbreak in November.

"Sometimes, when our epidemic breaks out in August or September, it continues until November, but it's unusual to trigger an outbreak in November," he said.

"It's hard to say where it's going to go, will it get worse, how will it affect, how many people will be affected?"

Dr. Markey said that it was difficult to determine the starting point of the outbreak. He added that this virus had been detected in indigenous communities, particularly in the eastern Arnhem Land and in Darwin.

"He has crossed the Top End and we have to wait to see if it is spreading," he said.

"It would be unlikely to spread to the Center as this time of year is centered on the Top End but we just have to wait and see."

He urged high-risk groups, including children, the elderly, indigenous people and people suffering from chronic diseases, to be vaccinated.

He also advised people who contract the disease to avoid contact with other people and to take common sense precautions such as washing their hands.