The number of swine flu cases confirmed in the State is likely to continue to increase gradually because of the level of travel between Ireland and other infected nations, the Department of Health’s chief medical officer has said.
Dr Tony Holohan said that seven cases of the H1N1 virus have so far been detected in Ireland and that six of those seven related to people who had travelled to the United States.
“What I think we can resaonably expect to see over the next number of weeks is a continuation of this number of cases,” he said.
“If you just think about the extent of travel there is between this country and other countries where they have experienced sustained community transmission, particularly the United States, we would expect to see cases occuring...at the frequency we have seen in the last week or so.”
On Tuesday, three new cases, two in a man and child from the HSE western region and one in a woman in the east, were reported.
The first case of swine flu was confirmed in Ireland on May 2nd in a young man who had just returned from Mexico. All other cases of swine flu in the State since then have been in people who had visited New York.
Dr Darina O’Flanagan of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre said most cases of the flu to date had been mild and that those infected in Ireland were being treated at home and recovering.
Dr Holohan said the international alert level remained at level five and that he anticipated this would rise to level six.
“You will be aware that more cases are occuring all the time in other countries and, as the World Health Organisation has been saying, this is moving us closer to a situation where we could be at level six.”
He said that “relatively speaking” the number of swine flu cases in Ireland was “quite low” and that the health service was had the “capacity to respond appropriately”.
