Health authorities have said the full potential of the swine flu outbreak won't be clear until more cases develop outside of Mexico.

The first case of swine flu in Ireland has been confirmed.

The first case of swine flu has been confirmed in this country in a person who recently returned from Mexico, health experts confirmed tonight.

A suspected case of swine flu in this country has not been identified as lab tests can not detect the deadly virus, health experts confirmed today.

There are no other cases of swine flu in this country, health experts said tonight.

HEALTH authorities last night confirmed they are dealing with the first probable case of the deadly swine flu virus here, with an Irish man in the eastern region now being treated.

A man who lives in the east of the country has a probable case of swine flu, health chiefs confirmed tonight.

NO cases of the deadly swine flu virus have been detected here yet, medical experts said last night, as the Government said all unnecessary travel to affected areas should be avoided.

Four people were tonight being tested for the deadly swine flu, it was confirmed.

THE country will be fully prepared for a possible influenza pandemic, an expert group said yesterday, while admitting that an unprecedented worst case scenario could result in the deaths of up to 53,000 people.

Experts on avian flu tonight insisted sufficient measures had been put in place to combat the threat of the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus.

THE Minister for Health has asked senior health officials to report on the alarming discovery in Britain that variant CJD can be transmitted through donated blood.