NI Swine Flu Case 'Under Investigation'

There is another new case of possible swine flu infection under investigation in Northern Ireland.

On the same day as it has emerged that over 200 people in the UK as a whole have now been positively diagnosed with swine flu, this represents a further possible escalation.

The most recent cases in Great Britain include 13 children and one adult from Welford Primary School in Handsworth, Birmingham, which is already linked with 50 cases of the infection.

The total number of cases in the UK now stands at 203, according to the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

Meanwhile, health officials also revealed that UK scientists have produced a possible vaccine of the swine flu virus suitable for large scale manufacture. The move is a "crucial step" towards the large-scale production of a vaccine against the disease.

The strain was developed at the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control in Hertfordshire.

It is now being made available to drug manufacturers and other flu laboratories worldwide.

Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, while a spokeswoman for the Department of Health would not give any further details of the local person who is suspected of being infected by the flu virus, an official Department statement insisted that Northern Ireland is well prepared for any potential pandemic.

It related that an agreement to secure the production of a pre-pandemic vaccine has been signed.

"These arrangements provide the opportunity by December this year to have enough pre-pandemic vaccine to protect at least half of the population from swine flu," the statement said, noting that, as part of plans for a pandemic, the Department also has sleeping contracts in place, which means that if WHO moves from Phase V to Phase VI and declare a pandemic it will receive vaccine when it becomes available.

This means that everyone in Northern Ireland will have access to two doses of pandemic vaccine, if they need them, continued the statement.

However, it has also been confirmed that cases of swine flu across the UK have all been relatively mild and are responding well to antiviral treatment.

"The strategy to use antivirals to slow the spread of the virus appears to be effective, as well as reducing symptoms," the official statement said.

The new possible NI case means that the number of cases under investigation locally stands at one, with the number of negative cases investigated to date in NI being 82.

At the moment, only one case of swine has been confirmed in Northern Ireland with the total now rising to three in the Irish Republic.

See: Swine Flu Cases Exceeds 200

See: Third Case Of Swine Flu Confirmed

(BMcc)