A WARNING not to panic buy �counterfeit� anti-swine flu drugs online was issued today by the government�s chief medical office.

A WARNING not to panic buy "counterfeit" anti-swine flu drugs online was issued today by the government's chief medical office.

Sir Liam Donaldson was commenting after it was revelead the number of new cases across the UK could reach 100,000 a day by the end of August.

Around 10,000 of those each day are expected to be in Scotland.

Sir Liam, who confirmed yesterday that the UK has moved past the stage of containing the swine flu outbreak and into the "treatment phase", said there was no need for people to resort to the internet to self-medicate.

He said Britain had a massive stockpile of treatment Tamiflu and would be one of the first countries to have access to a vaccine, with the first supplies arriving at the end of August.

He said: "There's generally a growth in people ordering drugs from the internet worldwide and there's a lot of concern among health authorities that people might buy counterfeit drugs.

"People shouldn't buy Tamiflu from the internet. We have got a massive stockpile in this country and everybody can have access to it through the National Health Service."

Sir Liam added he was "surprised" health services had controlled the virus for as long as they had. The first case in Britain was recorded in April.

He said: "We have been dealing with it very aggressively so far - we have investigated every case, we've treated their contacts, we've closed schools and all of that has helped slow the spread.

"Flu viruses spread extremely quickly so this is very much going as expected."

REVEALED: Expert tips on how to cut risk

What is swine flu?Swine flu is a respiratory disease, caused by a strain of the influenza type A virus known as H1N1. The virus has made the jump from pigs to humans and is now passing easily from person to person. Swine flu is transmitted in the same way as other types of flu, through coughing, sneezing and touching contaminated surfaces.

What does a pandemic mean?

A disease is classed as a pandemic when it becomes a worldwide epidemic. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), this means the virus is spreading in the community in two or more counties in one region of the world, and at least one country in another region of the world. A pandemic signifies phase 6 - the highest level of threat.

What are the symptoms of swine flu?

Around 140 people have died so far from swine flu but the illness is mostly causing mild symptoms at present. Some health experts believe the virus could mutate and become more deadly as the UK moves into winter. Symptoms of swine flu include fever and flu-like symptoms such as a cough, sore throat, limb or joint aches and pains, and headaches. Some people have reported suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea.

What steps can I take to prevent catching swine flu?

People can reduce their risk and help slow the spread of the virus. People should wash their hands regularly and catch coughs and sneezes in tissues which should then be promptly thrown away. The flu virus can linger on all types of surfaces for up to 24 hours and is easily transferred via the fingers to the mouth, nose or eyes.

Which groups of people are most at risk from swine flu?

Seasonal winter flu usually strikes the elderly and very young but current indications are that swine flu is targeting people of working age. The suggestion is that older people may have some immunity to this type of flu from when they were younger. Groups at risk of complications include people on immunosuppressants, those with asthma or a chest disease and diabetics.

What treatments are there?

Flu viruses have the ability to mutate, which makes it difficult to predict what will happen. However, testing has shown that H1N1 can be treated with the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza, which comes in the form of an inhaler. These drugs are not a "cure" for swine flu but can help reduce symptoms and cut the length of time somebody is ill. The UK has enough Tamiflu to cover half of the population but orders are in place for 50million doses enough to cover 80% of the population. Pharmaceutical companies are working on a swine flu vaccine which will not be available until the end of the year.