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Spain confirms first case of swine flu

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-04-27 21:14

MADRID -- A man has been confirmed to be infected with swine flu, the first confirmed case of the epidemic in Spain and also in Europe, the Health Ministry said Monday.

Full coverage:  Swine Flu Outbreak Related readings:  US declares swine flu outbreak a health emergency  Panic in Mexico, US as killer swine flu fears spread  World govts race to contain swine flu outbreak

The young man returned to Spain on April 22 and was put under observation on April 25 with chest problems, Health Minister Trinidad Jimenez told a news conference.

The patient is responding well to treatment and that neither he nor any of the 20 other people under observation are in serious condition, the minister said.

Swine flu is a respiratory disease that infects pigs and does not normally infect humans. But sporadic cases had happened, usually among people who had close contact with pigs.

A passenger arriving in a flight from Mexico wear a masks next to a Civil Guard at Barcelona's airport April 27, 2009. A case of swine flu has been confirmed in a patient in Spain and 17 sick people are under investigation, the Health Ministry said. [Agencies]

The swine flu, which is believed to be a new strain, has killed 103 people in Mexico. It has also infected 20 people in the United States.

In New Zealand, a total of 13 students who recently traveled to Mexico have been tested positive for Influenza A, of which swine flu is a subtype. These are first reported suspected cases in the Asia-Pacific region.

On Sunday, Canada became the third country to confirm human cases of swine flu with six people falling ill, all of them linked to people who had traveled to Mexico.

Suspected cases of swine flu were also reported in Israel, France and Brazil.

Three of the four suspected cases of swine flu in France were given the all-clear late on Sunday, authorities said. The test result for a fourth one was expected to be announced on Monday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Saturday that the outbreak in Mexico and the United States constituted a "public health emergency of international concern."

Countries from around the world are stepping up safety measures against swine flu on Monday, as the number of confirmed and suspected cases continued to climb.

Many countries have issued travel warnings for Mexico and the United States.

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