British swine flu patient dies
- 00:01:15
- ITN
British swine flu patient dies
Health officials have confirmed the first death in the UK from the swine flu virus. The patient had underlying health conditions and was one of ten people being treated in hospital in Scotland. The death is the first to be reported outside the Americas, where there have been at least 145 fatalities of people suffering from the virus. A Scottish government spokesman confirmed the fatality on Sunday night, following the news that a further 61 cases of swine flu had been confirmed in England, bringing the UK total to 1,226. Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "I'd like to express my condolences to the patient's family and friends. This is a tragedy for those concerned and they have my heartfelt sympathy. "Tragic though today's death is, I would like to emphasise that the vast majority of those who have H1N1 are suffering from relatively mild symptoms. "I would reiterate that the risk to the general public remains low and we can all play our part in slowing the spread of the virus by following simple hygiene procedures - like washing your hands and using tissues when coughing or sneezing." A leading expert said the death was "to be expected" and "does not point to the virus getting nastier". Professor Hugh Pennington, a bacteriologist at Aberdeen University, said underlying health problems were likely to have been a "significant factor". 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." There have now been 752 cases confirmed in England, 463 in Scotland, eight in Northern Ireland and three in Wales, the Health Protection Agency said. Of the new cases, 39 appeared in the West Midlands, where 354 people have now been affected by the virus. Another 486 possible UK cases are being investigated. Saturday saw the biggest one-day rise in the number of confirmed infections, with 172 patients in England and Scotland confirmed with the H1N1 virus. On Friday Health Secretary Andy Burnham encouraged people not to panic after the World Health Organisation announced the world is now in the grip of a flu pandemic, the first in more than 40 years.
ITN | June 15, 2009
