Three new swine flu cases in UK

THREE more victims of swine flu have been diagnosed in the UK — including a 12-year-old girl.
The English outbreaks were confirmed as it was revealed the killer bug had claimed its first death outside Mexico — a 23-month-old toddler in the United States.

The World Health Organisation warned the swine flu outbreak is moving closer to becoming a pandemic.

The 12-year-old is believed to have contracted the virus on a recent holiday to Mexico before returning to school at Paignton Community and Sports College in Devon this week.

Friends say she had been holidaying with her family on a farm in Mexico — where more than 150 people have died.

Charlotte Cleverdon, 11, a pupil at the school, said: "This afternoon at 1pm a teacher came in and told us what was happening and we were going home.

“Everyone started crying and holding their noses.”

The youngster was on the same flight as the Askhams, the Scottish couple who were the first UK victims to be diagnosed with swine flu
Lisa Walton, 36, who has two sons, Liam and Jack, at the school, said: “We just had no idea about what was happening here.

“The school had not told us about it, and my son said the pupils were told around 1pm today. Right now we just don’t know what to think. Obviously it’s a worry.”

The girl was one of three new confirmed cases announced by Gordon Brown at Prime Minister’s Question Time with the other two in Birmingham and London.

And new information providing advice about the swine flu outbreak will be up and running tomorrow, Health Secretary Alan Johnson said tonight.

Updating MPs on the “very fast moving situation” he said concerned members of the public will be able to call 0800 1513513 from tomorrow for recorded information about the virus

Paignton College — which has more than 1,900 pupils — is being closed until Monday, May 11, in a bid to minimise the spread of the infection.

Pupils were sent home with a letter from Principal Jane English which said: “A pupil in Year 7 has been confirmed as having swine flu.

“The pupil is at home and is recovering well.”

The Health Protection Agency in Devon identified that the girl had been in close contact with 50 fellow pupils and others, Health Secretary Alan Johnson said.

He added that Tamiflu anti-virals had now been given to 230 pupils — the whole of her school year — as a precautionary measure.

Liberal Democrat MP for Torbay Adrian Sanders said: "We need people to remain calm and listen to advice from the health authority."

The two other victims were said to be a 41-year-old woman, from Redditch, Worcs, and a 22-year-old man from north west London.

Another 76 patients were being tested around the UK, 20 of whom were in Wales.

A total of 32 possible cases were now under investigation in Scotland.

The PM also confirmed today that the NHS is trying to buy "millions" more face masks to protect nurses and doctors treating flu victims — 18 months after The Sun exposed sham promises to stockpile them.

The Government will also increase the number of doses of anti-virals from 35million to 50million.

And health bosses revealed today leaflets on swine flu will be sent out to every UK household.

The virus is now known to have spread to EIGHT countries.

The first victim of swine flu in the US was a 23-month-old Mexican boy who travelled to Texas from Mexico.

Authorities in Houston said the boy was first admitted to hospital in the border town of Brownsville.
He had flown to the US with his parents from Mexico City and was staying with relatives.

The toddler fell ill soon after arriving on April 4 developing a fever and flu like symptoms.

His condition deteriorated and on April 13 he was taken to hospital in Brownsville and later transferred to a Houston area hospital where he died on Monday.

Health chiefs said the boy had flown from Mexico City to Matamoros on a commercial flight.

In Geneva, WHO flu chief Dr Keiji Fukuda said there was no evidence the virus was slowing down – and becoming a pandemic

This could lead the agency to raise its pandemic alert to phase 5 – warning of widespread human-to-human transmission.

In Spain - where 10 people have been confirmed with swine flu - a first case was discovered of someone catching the disease WITHOUT travelling to Mexico.

UK people can contact Here

Experts fear a pandemic will see four in ten Brits go down with the bug.

But manufacturers of masks said Britain had NO CHANCE of getting enough — because other countries had snapped them up.

Britain's first contaminated victims were yesterday revealed to be honeymoon couple 27-year-old Iain and Dawn Askham, 24.

The Scot newlyweds fell ill days after returning to their home near Falkirk from Cancun a week ago.

Eight people who have been in contact with them have tested negative for the virus, Scotland Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said today.

Ms Sturgeon also told parliament she had spoken to Mr Askham on the telephone.

She said: “A short while ago, I spoke to Iain Askham and passed on very best wishes of this parliament and the whole country to both him and his wife Dawn.


“I am pleased to report that they are continuing to recover in hospital.”

The H1N1 virus has killed 159 out of 2,498 infected in Mexico but Britain claims to have enough anti-viral drugs to fight the virus.

The Government pledged four years ago to stockpile disposable masks for NHS staff in any pandemic. But 18 months ago we revealed a chronic shortage.

Makers Moldex-Metric said: “It smacks of incompetence.”

Tour firms axed flights to Mexico as the Foreign Office warned against trips.

The US has confirmed 68 cases, Canada 13 and New Zealand 14.

This morning Germany confirmed three cases with others ill in Austria and Israel.

Egypt has even ordered the culling of ALL pigs in the Arab country as a precaution against swine flu, the country’s health minister said today.

A pandemic could see 25million here catch it in months.

Professor Neil Ferguson, of London’s Imperial College, said: “We might expect up to 40 per cent of the population to become ill.”

The World Health Organisation is holding a “scientific review" of the outbreak to collect what is known about how the disease spreads, how it affects human health and how it can be treated.