Germany confirms first cases of swine flu

[FarCenter]

The Robert-Koch-Institute in Berlin on Wednesday confirmed three cases of swine flu in northern and southern Germany. A man in his late thirties and a 37-year-old woman were diagnosed with swine flu in the Bavarian towns of Regensburg and Kulmbach. A further case involving a 22-year-old woman was confirmed in the northern city of Hamburg. All three patients appear to have contracted the disease during recent trips to Mexico, the suspected epicentre of the virus.

Following the announcement of Germany's first swine flu case, Bavarian Health Minister Markus Soeder (CSU) tried to reassure the public. Speaking to reporters in Munich on Wednesday, Soeder emphasised that the woman from Kulmbach had already recovered completely. He added that the flu symptoms of the man hospitalized in Regensburg were improving and that measures were in place to deal with any potential further cases of swine flu.

"The crisis team is working around the clock. All suspected cases are already being treated as confirmed cases in order to minimize potential risks," Soeder said.

Medical authorities were investigating several other suspected incidences of swine flu in Germany. These include a further Bavarian case, and another three in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The fifth suspected case involves a married couple from the northern city of Braunschweig. The wife has already tested negative for the virus.

<snip> http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4214627,00.html