Further probable case of swine flu in Scotland

Published on Monday 4 May 2009 16:00

A FURTHER probable case of swine flu has emerged in Scotland, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said.

This comes on top of the country's present tally of four confirmed and 19 possible cases.

Ms Sturgeon said it was a person in Fife who travelled from Las Vegas to London and then on to Edinburgh on April 30.

This individual was not showing symptoms on either of those two flights, she told a briefing in Edinburgh.

Ms Sturgeon also disclosed plans for Scotland to send 1.45 million surgical face-masks to England from its stockpile of nine million.

This was a short-term measure to try to plug a shortfall in England and Wales, she said.

"That emphasises that we are working on a UK basis, trying to co-operate and co-ordinate our activities as much as we can," she said.

Health officials said they had traced the "vast majority" of air passengers who were in close contact with a man infected with the swine flu virus.

People who travelled on Flybe flight BE7096 from Birmingham to Glasgow on April 30 are being asked to get in touch with the NHS so they can be risk assessed.

The appeal by Health Protection Scotland (HPS) came after an Ayrshire man became Scotland's fourth confirmed case of swine flu.

He is a travel-related case, having flown back from the USA to Birmingham last Monday.

HPS said the other 52 passengers and four crew on board the plane may be at "low risk" of infection with the H1N1 virus.

An HPS spokeswoman said today: "We have done our own risk assessment and have been in touch with the vast majority of close contacts on the aircraft.

"We would ask that other passengers come forward and contact NHS 24 so they can be risk assessed as a precaution."

She added that passengers currently in England or Wales should contact NHS Direct.

All close contacts of newlyweds Iain and Dawn Askham, Britain's first confirmed cases of swine flu, have now been traced.