Senior ministers and HSE chiefs were aware of major problems at the Portlaoise Hospital maternity unit prior to a spate of baby deaths, official letters have revealed.

MEXICO’S chief epidemiologist accused the World Health Organisation of being slow to respond to the country’s warning about a health crisis that turned into a global swine flu scare and called for an investigation.

World health experts were today accused of initially ignoring the dangers of swine flu.

The first case of human-to-human transmission of swine flu was confirmed in Germany today.