Swine flu risk seen as serious

AN OUTBREAK of deadly swine flu in Mexico is being regarded as a serious threat to the island by the director of public health.

But Dr Stephen Bridgman (pictured) said the authorities were prepared if a pandemic did hit Guernsey.

'We have a pandemic flu planning group, which includes hospital staff, GPs and pharmacists.

'We do have some anti-virals and vaccinations, although we aren't sure how effective they are against this threat yet. We are taking this threat seriously.'

The H1N1 swine flu is the same strain that causes seasonal flu outbreaks in humans, but the newly detected version contains genetic material from versions of flu which usually affect pigs and birds.

It broke out in Mexico and had killed more than 100 people this morning. The illness has spread and non-fatal cases have been reported in New Zealand, America and elsewhere.