160 PUPILS ARE HIT BY SWINE FLU AT SCHOOL; One in three off with bug.Byline: Bob Geddes MORE than one i n three pupils at a Scots school have been hit by swine flu swine flu n. A highly contagious form of human influenza caused by a filterable virus identical or related to a virus formerly isolated from infected swine. . Around 160 kids and seven teachers have been sent home from Kirkcudbright Academy after being infected by the bug. Only 450 pupils attend the Academy and it is the first major outbreak of the H1N1 virus to affect a school in Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway (Dùn Phris agus an Gall-Ghaidhealaibh in Gaelic) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. To the north, it borders onto South Ayrshire, East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire; in the east the Borders; and to the south the county of Cumbria in England. . Health officials across the region are now preparing for more outbreaks. Consultant in Public Health Medicine Dr David Breen David Breen (born April 4, 1979 in Waterford, Republic of Ireland) is an Irish footballer. Nicknamed "Rio" he appreciates a defender who can play and read the game. said: "This outbreak has affected around one third of the pupils and seven teaching staff. "However, I would seek to reassure the public the symptoms are relatively mild and nobody affected has needed hospital intervention. "The school remains open although public health staff are monitoring the situation." Meanwhile, new figures show the number of Scots catching swine flu dropped last week. Official estimates byHealth Protection Scotland show 17,487 contracted the virus. This is down from the previous week's figure of 19,200, although 135 people still had to be admitted to hospital due to the virus. Therehave been 31 swine flu deaths in Scotland since the outbreak began and health secretary Nicola Sturgeon Nicola Sturgeon (born on 19 July, 1970 in Irvine, North Ayrshire) is the Deputy First Minister of Scotland, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and Member (MSP) of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow Govan. last night urged people to take advantage of the vaccination vaccination, means of producing immunity against pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria, by the introduction of live, killed, or altered antigens that stimulate the body to produce antibodies against more dangerous forms. programme nowunder way. She said: "I urge everyone who is in the priority groups to accept the vaccine when invited to do so bytheir GP." While the vaccine offers hope swine swine, name for any of the cloven-hoofed mammals of the family Suidae, native to the Old World. A swine has a rather long, mobile snout, a heavy, relatively short-legged body, a thick, bristly hide, and a small tail. f l u w i l l be contained, new fears were yesterday raised that the virus may have mutated. Br i t i s h scientists are examining samples of a strain behind a deadly Ukrainian outbreak that has killed 80 people in the last two weeks. Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko (Ukrainian: Віктор Андрійович Ющенко said the existence of three types of flu virus within the country "may lead to the emergence of a more aggressivenew virus". Slovakia last night closed two border crossings with Ukraine to stop the virus spreading. |
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