Timeline of swine flu in Scotland

Tests were taking place on a "probable" fifth Scottish case of swine flu and 19 other possible cases.

Across the UK, the number of confirmed cases rose by nine, to 27.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland was to send 1.45 million surgical face-masks to England from its stockpile of nine million.

This was to try to plug a shortfall in England and Wales.

A fourth case of swine flu is confirmed.

The man from the Ayrshire and Arran health board area is thought to have picked up the virus in Texas.

He has no connection to the previous three cases.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Government confirmed that the first man confirmed with swine flu, Iain Askham, had attended a concert in Edinburgh days after returning from Mexico.

He had not been identified as having contracted the virus at the time.

Health Minister Nicola Sturgeon said another "probable" case of swine flu was under investigation in Scotland.

She said a further 19 possible cases were still also being investigated, and all were travel-related with no new person to person cases reported.

Two further patients under investigation in England were confirmed with swine flu, bringing the current total number of confirmed UK cases to 15 - three of those cases were in Scotland.

Tests confirm the first human-to-human transfer of swine flu in the UK.

Graeme Pacitti, from Falkirk, is a friend of Iain and Dawn Askham, the couple who contracted the virus after honeymooning in Mexico.

Latest figures from the Scottish Government confirmed that a total of 29 other suspected cases were still being investigated.

The figure for confirmed cases across the UK rose to nine. The World Health Organisation, which has set its pandemic alert level at five, said it had no immediate plans to move to the highest level of six.

Health Minister Nicola Sturgeon said 27 possible cases of suspected swine flu and one "probable" case were under investigation.

The "probable" case is a contact of Iain and Dawn Askham, the only confirmed cases in Scotland. If confirmed this would be the first case of onward transmission of the virus in Scotland.

24 of the 32 suspected cases being investigated on Wednesday tested negative for the virus, but 19 new travel-related cases emerged by Thursday.

Meanwhile, Mr and Mrs Askham have been released from hospital in Airdrie.

A dedicated swine flu advice line for Scotland has also been announced. It will go live on Thursday afternoon and can be accessed through NHS 24 on 08454 24 24 24.

PM: Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon announced that 24 new suspected cases, all travel-related, were being investigated:

She also said one of the 14 cases reported on Tuesday was not travel-related as initially thought, but linked to Iain and Dawn Askham who had contracted the virus.

This meant there were 13 travel-related cases outstanding from Tuesday. Five of these people tested negative, and two were declassified as they were not suffering from any kind of flu.

This left six travel-related cases from Tuesday still awaiting results.

Combined with the 24 new cases announced on Wednesday and the two people still awaiting results who had contact with the Askhams, this amounted to a total of 32 cases under investigation in Scotland.

AM: NHS boards across Scotland issued further details of the suspected cases being investigated.

A total of 10 people were tested in the Forth Valley NHS area, including the nine people who had had contact with Mr and Mrs Askham. Tests on eight of these nine returned showing negative results, with one result still pending.

NHS Grampian confirmed they were testing six people, while NHS boards in Tayside, Lanarkshire and Greater Glasgow and Clyde were dealing with two cases each. The two Lanarkshire cases were understood to be Iain and Dawn Askham.

Pete and Jenny Marshall, who had also been on their honeymoon in Mexico, and their friend Gemma O'Brien, were quarantined at the Marshalls' home in Gorgie, Edinburgh, while tests were carried out.

Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon announced tests were being carried out on a total of 23 other people. This included nine people who came into contact with Mr and Mrs Askham and subsequently experienced "mild" symptoms. The other 14 people were thought at the time to have returned from travelling in affected areas or come into close contact with someone who had.

The first two cases of swine flu in the UK were confirmed. Newly-wed couple Iain and Dawn Askham, who had recently returned from their honeymoon in Mexico, tested positive for the virus and were admitted to Monklands Hospital in Airdrie.

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