Aussie flu symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, fevers and sore throats.
The contagious virus has spread across the UK, hospitalising about 500 people since October.
The virus could be contained if everyone washed their hands regularly with warm water and soap, doctors urged.
But, 49 per cent of people in the UK said they were “too busy” to wash their hands, research has revealed.
Almost half of Brits admitted to either forgetting, or being too busy to wash their hands after they use the toilet, according to research by hand dryer manufacturer, Sterillo.
More than 40 per cent of people said they were less likely to wash their hands in an unclean public washroom, the poll also revealed.
“Effective hand washing can’t be achieved in an unclean environment, even if the public did always use these facilities to wash their hands they would likely still be contaminated,” said Sterillo inventor, Steve Levy.
“This is why we are seeing outbreaks with viruses like flu and, even worse, the Aussie flu.”
Almost 60 per cent of people don’t wash their hands for at least 20 seconds, Sterillo said.
Twenty seconds is the minimum time required to clean hands effectively, and to avoid spreading germs, according to the NHS.
Aussie flu could be prevented by regularly washing your hands, and by disinfecting surfaces.
The deadly infection is still spreading across the UK, with more people being admitted to hospital with flu, according to Public Health England (PHE).
Aussie flu is a mutated form of the influenza A virus. It’s known as the H3N2 virus.
Symptoms of the condition are similar to normal flu, but are more severe, and tend to last longer.
Aussie flu can also lead to pneumonia and other severe respiratory complications, which are specific to Aussie flu, added Munzu.
Those most at risk of Aussie flu and its complications are the elderly, children, pregnant women and people with a weakened immune systems – for example, cancer patients.
