BUSH'S CLEAN REGIME

FOUR years ago, President George W. Bush insisted that Mr Barack Obama - then a newly-elected senator - disinfect his hands before handling refreshments at the White House, according to Times Online.

Four years later, at his own victory dinner party, President-elect Obama had to disinfect his hands once again.

According to Mr Bush, this measure has reduced the number of colds and other infections that afflict all households.

GOOGLE THE FLU

JUST launched: Google Flu trends, which paints a real-time picture of flu levels in the United States. Google software engineers hope the tool may provide an early-warning system for flu outbreaks. Visit www.google. org/flutrends/

FLU BUG BECOMING DRUG RESISTANT

SCIENTISTS have reported that the bug is increasingly resistant to Tamiflu, the favoured medication for treating flu.

FLU JAB CAN HELP PREVENT BLOOD CLOTS

NEW data by scientists at Paris Descartes University shows that getting a flu jab significantly reduces the risk of developing life-threatening blood clots too.

WORST FLU PANDEMIC KILLED UP TO 50M PEOPLE

IN 1918, the world was gripped by the Spanish flu, which spread as far away as the Arctic and remote Pacific Islands, and killed up to 50 million people.Many of its victims were healthy young adults, in contrast to the juvenile or elderly victims of most influenza outbreaks.

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