SWINE flu has claimed its first UK victim with the death of a Glasgow mother - just days after she gave birth to a premature baby.
By Chris Watt
SWINE flu has claimed its first UK victim with the death of a Glasgow mother - just days after she gave birth to a premature baby.
The 38-year-old, from Carnwadric, named locally as Jacqui Fleming, is the first person to die of the virus outside the Americas.
She had been in intensive care at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley since last month. Officials said she also had other health problems. Her baby, born around 11 weeks early, was being treated at Yorkhill hospital but is understood to have tested clear for the virus.
The death is the first in Europe, and the Glasgow and Clyde area is still one of the worst-hit places outside North and South America.
Scotland has more cases of swine flu per head of population than anywhere else in the UK, with the total likely to burst through the 500 mark today.
The UK has 1226 confirmed cases, with many more still expected. So far, most have been fairly mild.
Professor Hugh Pennington, a bacteriologist at Aberdeen University and one of Scotland's foremost experts on diseases, said Ms Fleming's underlying conditions were likely to have been a major factor in her death.
He said: "It's very sad but with the number of cases we have seen it is really something which was always going to happen sooner or later.
"Unfortunately, it is to be expected. This is what the authorities have been saying will happen for a long time."
However, he stressed that yesterday's death did not mean the virus was getting more dangerous.
He said: "It does not point to the virus getting nastier. All the evidence to date suggests the virus is not changing at all.
"This is a flu virus. It is in no way different from an ordinary winter flu virus."
The normal flu virus is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide each winter.
Neighbours in the Carnwadric area said last night that the victim had a teenage son and a younger boy, who was still in primary school.
A resident of her block of flats, who did not wish to be named, said the family wanted to be left alone to come to terms with the tragedy.
Another neighbour, who said he had known her son from a local secondary school, added that Ms Fleming had been seriously ill for some time, possibly after strokes or seizures.
The block of flats where she lived was just yards away from St Vincent's Primary School.
One pupil there has already caught swine flu and the school was closed today. It is expected to re-open on Friday.
A 23-year-old nurse who treated the woman at the Southern General has tested positive for swine flu, but is not thought to be seriously ill.
Officials had last night confirmed 35 new cases in Scotland, of which 32 were in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.
A further 175 cases were under investigation, the Scottish Government said.
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.
