Swine flu spreads: Number of cases in Scotland double

Published on Thursday 1 October 2009 17:47

THE number of swine flu victims in Scotland is believed to have almost doubled in a week, health officials announced today.

An estmitated 13,800 people caught the H1N1 bug last week compared with about 7,000 the previous week.

Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "H1N1 is now really becoming the predominant strain of flu that's circulating in Scotland.

"That very much mirrors the experience of Australia for their winter season when H1N1 was the main strain of flu that they were dealing with."

A WOMAN has become the 10th person with swine flu to die in Scotland, it was announced today.

The 62-year-old from the Forth Valley NHS area had "significant underlying health conditions", health officials said.

The total was based on data from 732 GP practices – equal to 71% of Scotland's total.

Previously, the Scottish Government's weekly updates were based on 58 practices.

Today's results showed a 7% increase in GP consultations for flu-like illness, equal to 103.7 people per 100,000.

The number of samples testing positive for swine flu increased from 17.6% to 34.1%.

Ms Sturgeon made the announcement in a briefing at St Andrew's House in Edinburgh.

She said: "We are not unique here – the increases that we are seeing this week, which build on a steady increase over the last three or four weeks, are being mirrored in all other parts of the UK.

"Northern Ireland has seen an even more dramatic increase this week – their consultation rates are now above 200 per 100,000."

Health officials said a patient from Lanarkshire, who had been sent for specialist treatment in England, was now in Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

The patient underwent a specialist procedure called extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (Ecmo) where blood is circulated outside the body and oxygen added artificially.

Ms Sturgeon said Ecmo provision would be doubled at the centre in Leicester.

Another Scottish patient in hospital in Ibiza is "making good progress".

Ms Sturgeon said the European Commission has now licensed the GSK vaccine – one of two which will be used in the UK.

This will start to be delivered over the next few weeks, putting Scotland on track for its planned vaccination programme later this month.