Britons have been steeling themselves against the dreaded "Aussie flu" as the H3N2 strain responsible for Australia's soaring flu rates spreads to Britain.

British tabloids have dubbed the H3N2 strain the "Killer Aussie Flu", and the "Lurgy from Down Under" after the influenza A subtype was largely responsible for Australia's brutal flu season.

The Mirror has also reported the strain had "claimed its first victims" in Ireland, though few deaths have been reported, and The Telegraph claimed the "Australian flu has hit Scotland", clogging up the National Health Service help line with thousands of calls in the days leading up to Christmas.

British health authorities who closely followed Australia's soaring flu rates were bracing for the arrival of H3N2 (an influenza A strain), and the potential for outbreak of a similar magnitude.