Latest news on swine flu

The number of confirmed Swine Flu cases in Malta rose to 16 tonight, with another five cases having been confirmed late in the evening.

The presence of Swine Flu in Malta was only confirmed late on Wednesday and announced on Thursday morning, with four cases having been confirmed by late Thursday.

However their number rose to 11 by Friday afternoon with a further five cases by Friday evening.

Informed sources said two of the new cases confirmed on Friday evening came from the same family, which had recently travelled to the UK. Another was a man who had travelled to Spain. Details on the other two new cases were not immediately available.

All 16 patients are responding to treatment and not seriously ill. They are being treated at home.

In the afternoon, Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galed confirmed two cases of Swine Flu in Gozo - a Scottish girl aged eight who had been in contact with infected children in Scotland. and a baby of four-and-a-half months who is British, but not related to the eight year old girl. Both are in Malta on holiday with their families.

In Malta, the new cases were three men, aged 16, 22 and 23 who were in the same plane as the Rugby group which returned on Tuesday from Spain; a man, 22, who returned from Spain yesterday and a woman in her 20s who returned from the UK on Tuesday.

All the cases were detected by family doctors at home, except in the case of the baby, who was taken to hospital with a chest infection. The baby was due to be released from hospital this evening.

The patients had reported sore throats, a cough and fluctuating fever.

Dr Ray Busuttil, Director-General of Health, said it was very important that people who were abroad and felt flu symptoms on their return should not go out but call a doctor, thus avoiding the spread of the disease. Anybody who feels the symptoms while abroad should, responsibly, not board the plane but call a doctor.

The virus is normally detected seven days after contact and is cured in five days, although patients are required to stay in quarantine for seven days.

The first cases to be confirmed yesterday involved four members of a Rugby group who returned from a visit to Spain last Tuesday.