The Netherlands is now officially in the grip of a mild flu epidemic, health officials said on Thursday.

Last week, 70 out of 100,000 people were reporting to their doctors with flu-like symptoms. It is the second week in a row more than 51 people per 100,000 are suspected of having flu, the official definition of an epidemic.
Almost 60% of those with flu have variant H1N1, or swine flu, research bureau Nivel said. Four people died of swine flu last week, taking the death toll to 11 since last October.