I live in the UK and I don't think it's particularly any worse here than the USA or anywhere else? Perhaps the author of the book you're reading is English, which is why it's making it seem like we get it worse here or something? I think the media plays a massive part in things over here too, creating a big hype about it. There'll be headlines about how a million people have come down with it this year and it's a huge epidemic, yet when you look into it, the rates are no different from any other year. To be honest, I think in winter time it hits most places pretty hard.