Further swine flu cases confirmed

Two cases have been confirmed at Heartlands Hospital

A further 58 people across the West Midlands have been confirmed as having swine flu, the Health Protection Agency has said.

A patient is in intensive care at Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, while two more hospitals in the city have treated people with the virus.

Five schools in the Handsworth, Lozells and Small Heath areas of Birmingham are closed due to the virus.

The number of confirmed cases across the West Midlands region is 229.

Global flu

St James and Heathfield primary schools in Handsworth are closed, as is Birchfield Primary in Aston. They are due to reopen on Monday.

Anglesey primary school in Lozells has also closed.

These are near to Welford Primary School which was at the centre of an outbreak affecting 96 children and adults.

Welford has since reopened after being deep cleaned.

Darul Uloom Islamic High School and College in Small Heath has also closed.

On Thursday, the World Health Organisation confirmed the outbreak as the first global flu pandemic in 40 years.

The H1N1 strain has spread to at least 74 countries.

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