Swine Flu Death in Scotland Is Europe's First
Glasgow Woman Dies from H1N1 After Recently Giving BIrth
Jun 15, 2009
According to the Scottish government, Fleming had underlying health conditions. She had been hospitalized in intensive care.
Glasgow Area Hardest Hit with H1N1
As of Sunday, Scotland had 498 confirmed swine flu cases. The vast majority of these (323) were in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.
The government reported 35 new laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1 infections Sunday, of which 32 were in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. Another 175 possible swine flu cases were being investigated across Scotland.
Ten people were currently being hospitalized in Scotland with complications from contracting the H1N1 virus, according to the government.
Swine Flu Spreads in England
“We continue to see a rise in cases of Influenza A (H1N1) around the world, and Scotland is not isolated from that,” said Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon. “Given the number of cases being confirmed in the West Midlands, there is an indication that the area is experiencing a level of spread similar to what we are seeing in Scotland.”
The West Midlands is a county in England. Birmingham is its largest city.
According to the World Health Organization, there were 1,226 confirmed cases of swine flu in the United Kingdom as of today (Monday). This included 404 newly-confirmed cases since the last reporting period three days ago.
UK Leads Europe in H1N1 Cases
“We remain one of the best prepared countries in the world and, as in every other country, the vast majority of people contracting the virus are experiencing relatively mild symptoms,” Sturgeon noted. “The message to the wider public stays the same – if you cough or sneeze, catch it in a tissue and wash your hands.”
The UK has by far the most confirmed cases of swine flu in Europe. Spain ranks second with 488. The only other nation in triple digits is Germany, with 170, including 75 new cases. There have been 80 confirmed cases in France.
Swine Flu Pandemic No Cause for Alarm
Based in part on the substantial rise in cases in Scotland, the WHO declared last week that H1N1 had reached full pandemic stage. The organization’s leaders urged the public not to overreact to the declaration, observing that it had to do with the geographic spread of the illness, rather than its intensity.
“Globally, we have good reason to believe that this pandemic, at least in its early days, will be of moderate severity,” WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan said. “As we know from experience, severity can vary, depending on many factors, from one country to another.”
