Southern hemisphere may produce new mutated flu strain during peak winter flu activity

"The highest peaks of influenza activity occur in winter," MacIntyre said. "For us in the Southern Hemisphere, it's particularly concerning."

"You have this risk of an additional virus that could essentially cause two outbreaks at once," Dr. Jon Andrus said at the Pan American Health Organization's headquarters in Washington.

There's also a chance that the two flus could collide and mutate into a new strain that is more contagious and dangerous.

SHOOT: This not only seems likely, but logical.

clipped from news.yahoo.com In Africa, which has yet to confirm a swine flu case, an outbreak during traditional flu season will make diagnosing and treating the two viruses a challenge, said Barry Schoub, director of South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Even in the absence of cases, officials are preparing. O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, the gateway to the region handling millions of travelers each year, has plans to get a thermal image detection system running to check passengers for fever. A supply of masks has been provided to that airport and others, as well. Hospitals have been given guidelines on how to handle suspected cases. South Africa, the richest country in the region, is poised to assist its neighbors should they need help with testing or treatment. South Africa has stockpiled about 100,000 courses of the antiviral drug Tamiflu, which appears to help people afflicted with swine flu, and has access to more if needed, Schoub said.