Woman suspected of swine flu at Broomfield Hospital

DOCTORS at Broomfield Hospital are treating a woman for suspected swine flu. Tests are being carried out on a female patient at the Essex hospital, south of Dunmow, but it has not been confirmed if the woman is carrying the potentially life threatening i

DOCTORS at Broomfield Hospital are treating a woman for suspected swine flu.

Tests are being carried out on a female patient at the Essex hospital, south of Dunmow, but it has not been confirmed if the woman is carrying the potentially life threatening infection.

Staff at the hospital have confirmed that the woman is being treated in isolation and doctors had put infection control procedures in place.

A Spokesman for Mid Essex Hospitals NHS Trust said: "The Trust can confirm that a female patient was admitted to Broomfield Hospital with suspected swine flu on Tuesday.

"Whilst tests are being run the patient is being treated in isolation and infection control procedures are being scrupulously followed to ensure no other patient or member of staff is put at risk."

The number of swine flu cases is rising across the world and the US has confirmed that the death of a 23-month-old child there is the first fatality outside Mexico, where the virus is thought to have originated.

It is thought that the results of the test are due later today.