UFC fighter Conor McGregor has been struck down by deadly Australian flu, which could be the worst bout Britain has seen in 50 years.

The millionaire sportsman, 29, shared a candid Instagram snap of him relaxing in bed with his baby boy Conor Jr, revealing he and 'half his family' had contracted the virus, which has resulted in fatalities both Down Under and in Ireland.

He wrote: 'Well that was a wild New Year's Eve. Half the family hit with the Australian flu virus and some even left in hospital with it. I've never even been to Australia wtf.'(sic)

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'I've been shaking in bed for two days': UFC fighter Conor McGregor has been struck down by deadly Australian flu over the festive period

Strong: The millionaire sportsman shared a candid Instagram snap of him relaxing in bed with his baby boy Conor Jr, while revealing that he and 'half his family' had contracted the virus, which has resulted in fatalities both Down Under and in Ireland

The MMA fighter and boxer said that he had been left shaken by the illness, which has affected people across Ireland over the festive period.

He said: 'Big New Year's Eve party cancelled at the last minute and I am left shaking in bed the past two days.

'I'll leave that with the rest of the bad behind me in 2017 and take with me the many great experiences I've had this year!

'None greater than the birth of my son Conor Jr and the continued support of my family, my friends and my dedicated staff through thick and thin.'

MailOnline has contacted Conor's representative for comment.

Family man: The 29-year-old wrote: 'Well that was a wild New Year's Eve. Half the family hit with the Australian flu virus and some even left in hospital with it. I've never even been to Australia wtf.'(sic) (pictured with partner Dee Devlin and son Conor Jr)

Battle: The MMA fighter and boxer said that he had been left shaken by the illness, which has affected many people in Ireland this festive season.

NHS PREPARES FOR THE WORST FLU OUTBREAK IN 50 YEARS The dreaded Aussie flu outbreak that the NHS is preparing for will be the worst in 50 years, experts warned in September. Some A&E units in Australia had 'standing room only' after being swamped by more than 100,000 cases of the H3N2 strain. Professor Robert Dingwall, a public health expert at Nottingham Trent University, said it is 'inevitable' it will reach Britain. He said it could claim as many lives as the Hong Kong flu outbreak in 1968, which killed at least one million people. Professor Dingwall told The Daily Express: 'Based on the Australian experience public health officials need to meet and urgently review emergency planning procedures. 'Public Health England should be working with local authorities and local health services to ensure more hospital beds are freed up. We need to be prepared, alert and flexible. 'There is no point in trying to close the borders. It’s almost inevitable this will come to us. 'This is potentially the worst winter since the Hong Kong flu outbreak of 1968. 'Lots of people have been very badly affected in Australia and whilst their mortality rates are not out yet we suspect this is a more severe strain than most other years.' Advertisement

Conor has been with partner Dee Devlin for over nine years and the couple welcomed their first child together, Conor Jack McGregor Jr., in May.

The MMA fighter memorably took on boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr in a hotly-anticipated face off at Las Vegas' T Mobile Arena on August 26 last year, which the Irishman lost.

The deadly 'Aussie flu' currently sweeping Britain has already claimed lives in Ireland.

Doctors in the UK have warned that it could be the worst outbreak of the bug in 50 years, as official figures revealed cases more than doubled in just one week.

Government statistics show 1,111 people were struck down with flu as temperatures dropped last week - a 156 per cent jump on the previous seven days.

Family first: He added: 'Big New Year's Eve party cancelled at the last minute and I am left shaking in bed the past two days. I'll leave that with the rest of the bad behind me in 2017 and take with me the many great experiences I've had this year!'

Fighter: Conor has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame and is now a millionaire

Heated: The MMA fighter memorably took on boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr in a hotly-anticipated face off at Las Vegas' T Mobile Arena on August 26 last year, which the Irishman lost

Although the number of flu-related deaths recorded in Ireland so far is under 10, 73 people have been hospitalised and the Irish Health Service Executive is urging people to get vaccinated.

Meanwhile, figures released by Public Health England show a sharp rise in cases, triggered by a surge in two aggressive subtypes attacking the population simultaneously.

One includes the so-called 'Aussie flu', a strain of influenza A which wreaked havoc on hospitals in Australia during the country's winter.

The H3N2 subtype triggered two and a half times the normal number of cases in Australia. Britain's flu season tends to mirror what has happened there.

Experts fear the virulent flu strain, which has now reached the UK, could prove as deadly as the Hong Kong flu in 1968, which killed one million people.