FLU-LIKE symptoms are now being reported across the entire county of Dorset, it has been confirmed, with the northern New Forest and its surrounding towns and villages falling into the red 'Severe' zone of the official influenza 'heat map'.

Fordingbridge, Cranborne and Verwood all fell within the area classed by Flusurvey's map as 'severe'. In the west of the county, Shaftesbury and Wimborne St Giles fell into this category also.

The areas reporting the next highest category of flu risk include most of the western New Forest, including Brockenhurst, Hordle and Sway.

The Bournemouth and Poole conurbation was reporting symptoms but the situation in this area, stretching from the coast up to Ringwood and round to Bere Regis is described as less severe.

Until yesterday Dorchester and the City of London were the only places declaring themselves flu-free, but the west of Dorset is now reporting flu-like symptoms.

The UK Flusurvey was launched on July 16 2009, during the swine flu pandemic, and is part of a Europe-wide initiative to monitor influenza-like illness (ILI) activity. Currently more than 7,500 people from all over the UK are participating in the survey. Areas where no one is reporting flu-like symptoms appear in blue, with 'very high' reporting in red.

ILI is classified as the sudden onset of symptoms including at least one of the following - fever (chills), malaise, headache, muscle pain and at least

one of coughing, sore throat or shortness of breath.