110 more confirmed with swine flu

A further 110 patients have been confirmed with swine flu in England today, taking the UK total to more than 1,500, health chiefs said.

The rise comes as a family faced the double loss of a mother and her premature baby.

The new cases confirmed today include 55 in the West Midlands, 19 in London and 15 in the South East, the Health Protection Agency said.

Three new cases were also confirmed today in Northern Ireland, taking the UK total to 1,585, with 1,062 in England, 508 in Scotland, 12 in Northern Ireland and three in Wales.

A further 550 clinically presumed cases have also been identified in Scotland.

Of the confirmed cases in England, 567 are in the West Midlands, 195 in London and 115 in the South East.

Jacqui Fleming, 38, of Glasgow, became the UK's first swine flu victim to die on Sunday, two weeks after giving birth.

Her son, named Jack, died in hospital in Paisley, Renfrewshire, on Monday night.

An NHS Greater Glasgow spokesman said the baby did not die from swine flu.

A statement issued on behalf of Ms Fleming's partner, William McCann, said: "My beautiful son was born on June 1 2009, 11 weeks early.

"He suffered from a number of complications and, despite his brave fight, he passed away at the Special Care Baby Unit at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.

"Coming so soon after the death of his mum, this is an extremely distressing and difficult time for our family and I would ask the media to respect our privacy as we try to cope with the loss of Jacqueline and Jack."

Ms Fleming lived with her two other children - one aged 18 and one of primary school age - and her long-term partner in the family home in Carnwadric, Glasgow.

Her family said in a statement: "Our whole family is absolutely devastated."

The mother, who was in intensive care at the Royal Alexandra, was one of 10 being treated in hospital in Scotland.

It is the first death to be reported outside the Americas where at least 145 people have died from swine flu.

Professor Hugh Pennington, a bacteriologist at Aberdeen University, said the first swine flu death was not unexpected.

He said: "It does not point to the virus getting nastier. All the evidence to date suggests the virus is not changing at all."