English schoolgirl with swine flu dies

An English schoolgirl with underlying health problems has died after contracting swine flu.

The youngster, believed to have been a pupil at Mayfield, a specialist school in Birmingham which caters for children with learning difficulties, died at the city’s children’s hospital within the past few days, health chiefs said.

It is not yet known if swine flu contributed to her death.

Dr Helen Carter, public health consultant at NHS West Midlands, said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the patient at this very sad time.”

A spokesman for NHS West Midlands said the child had “other serious underlying health conditions” and tested positive for swine flu following her death.

British Health Secretary Andy Burnham said: “I would like to express my condolences to the patient’s family at this very difficult time.

“This is a tragedy for those concerned and they have my heartfelt sympathy.

“I would reiterate that the risk to the general public remains low and we can all play our part in slowing the spread of the virus by following simple hygiene procedures – like washing your hands and using tissues when coughing or sneezing.

“We continue to monitor the situation very closely, making sure arrangements are in place so that the UK remains well-placed to deal with this pandemic.”

A spokesman for Birmingham Children’s Hospital clarified last night that the girl was not nine, contrary to some reports.

The West Midlands has been declared a hotspot for the disease, with 2,104 confirmed cases so far, more than a third of the UK’s total and more than two-fifths of all the cases in England.

Dr Carter said: “The West Midlands has seen the highest number of cases of swine flu.

“It is important to remember that our experience here has been that the vast majority of cases with swine flu are mild.

“I would like to urge everyone that there are some simple steps that the public can take to reduce their chances of catching flu.”

Since Friday, 1,604 cases have been confirmed in England, taking the country’s total to 4,968 and the UK’s total so far to 5,937.

The child is the third patient with the virus to die in the UK.

A 73-year-old man from the Inverclyde area died at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, Scotland, on Saturday night.

The unnamed man, who had serious underlying health conditions, had been treated in the hospital’s intensive care unit for the past 15 days.

The first UK death, Jacqui Fleming, 38, who had just given birth prematurely, died two weeks ago at the same hospital. She had other health problems.

Last week health officials said the West Midlands, along with London which has 1,564 confirmed cases so far, would adopt a policy of outbreak management, with swine flu cases being clinically diagnosed rather than being confirmed by laboratory results.

The new policy means swabbing will take place only for a small number of cases to keep track of the strength of the virus.

Doctors will also use the drug Tamiflu more selectively, targeting only people with symptoms.

The drug is unlikely to be handed out to everyone who has come into contact with a swine flu sufferer as a precaution.

Chief medical officer Liam Donaldson stressed that many parts of the country were still in the containment phase.

He warned however there could be “tens of thousands of cases” of swine flu each week by the autumn because the virus is more likely to thrive in the colder months.

Donaldson said: “We still think we are heading for the largest surge of cases in the autumn and winter.”

In Denmark, health officials confirmed they observed a case of resistance to the antiviral drug Tamiflu in a patient with swine flu.

The State Serum Institute, which aims to prevent and control infectious diseases, said: “The person is well now and no further contagion with the resistant virus has been detected.”