Britain confirms three new swine flu cases

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Britain confirmed another three cases of swine flu on Wednesday, one in London, one in Birmingham and one in a 12-year-old girl in southwest England.

This brings to five the total number of cases in Britain and shows the virus’s presence across the country.

All of those affected have recently been in Mexico, where the virus was first detected, and have mild symptoms, Prime Minister Gordon Brown told parliament.

The girl had been on the same flight from Mexico as the honeymooning Scottish couple who were confirmed as Britain’s first two cases of swine flu on Monday, Health Secretary Alan Johnson said.

Her school, in Paignton, Devon is to be shut for seven days and all 230 pupils in her year have been given anti-virals as a precaution.

A 41-year-old woman from Redditch in Birmingham and a 22-year-old man from London are the other two new cases.

Johnson said a mass public health information campaign to prevent the spread of swine flu will begin on Thursday under the slogan “Catch It, Bin It, Kill It”.

“Always use a tissue to catch coughs and sneezes, throw away used tissues, and regularly wash your hands,” he said. “They are the three most important messages.”

Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson said all the cases so far in Britain have come from contact abroad.

“We haven’t yet seen any ongoing transmission to other people in the UK,” he said, adding that this is the key factor health authorities are monitoring.

Nearly a week after the threat of a flu pandemic emerged in Mexico, that country remained the hardest hit, with up to 159 people killed. The United States confirmed its first death from the virus, in a 23-month-old visiting Mexican baby, on Wednesday.

Brown said Britain is taking “the preparations that are necessary” to try to prevent the spread of the disease.

“We have decided to build up stocks of anti-virals from 35 million to 50 million,” he said. “We are ordering a great deal more face masks and we will be sending out public information to all citizens in this country, and by Tuesday of next week there will be an information leaflet available for every family.”

Checks at airports were being enhanced and he reiterated government advice for people not to travel to Mexico unless necessary.

In Scotland, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said test results had come back negative for 15 out of 23 suspected cases, but that 24 new suspected cases were also being investigated.

By Kate Kelland and Tim Castle
LONDON (Reuters)

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