Two people, including a pregnant woman, are currently being treated at Wexford General Hospital for swine flu.

It is understood that one of the patients, thought to be a paramedic, began receiving treatment for a “strain of H1N1” at the south-eastern hospital last week.



A second person was brought in shortly afterwards and, according to local reports, is a patient who was collected by ambulance from an address in Wexford town.

Neither patients’ condition is believed to be life threatening, and the woman, who is a mother-of-two, is believed to be responding well to treatment after being transferred from intensive care.

A spokesman for Wexford General Hospital confirmed the “influenza-like illness” was the swine flu strain.



Swine flu is one of a number of strains of flu which is currently circulating but it can be particularly dangerous for certain groups, including pregnant women.



It was at the centre of a pandemic in 2009 when it claimed a number of lives as there was vaccine for many months to offer protection.



However, it is now included in the winter flu jab and at risk groups are advised to be vaccinated.

Most patients with the flu do not need to be hospitalised but a pregnant women with swine flu are more likely to be admitted and are at greater chance of serious illness from the strain.



Flu levels generally are currently high and have been contributing to the trolley crisis.



For those concerned about contracting a flu-like illness, there are still around 500,000 flu jabs left.

Online Editors