THE region's first confirmed outbreak of swine flu has been successfully contained, according to Dr Tim Patterson, public health consultant with NHS Borders.
But he said a major escalation in cases of the H1N1 virus, for which clinical contingencies have been put in place, was “inevitable” over the coming weeks and months.
His prediction came seven days after a foreign-based businessman, who had arrive
d in Scotland by transatlantic flight last Sunday week, presented himself at the Jedburgh Health Centre in Queen Street last Wednesday, complaining of mild flu symptoms.
The executive, who was residing at a Borders hotel, is understood to have been attending a sales conference hosted by his employer, the US-owned tool and sawblade maker L. S. Starrett at its Oxnam Road plant in the town and he had been at that site on both the Monday and Tuesday.
Tests were taken at the health centre and, on Thursday, the lab results proved positive, making him the first confirmed victim of the pandemic strain in the Borders.
By Monday of this week the local health authority announced that a further three people, associated with the first case, had also tested positive for the virus and that two others were being investigated.
Yesterday, it was revealed that lab results on these two suspected cases had proved negative.
The three confirmed victims, understood to be white collar staff at Starrett, were treated with anti-viral drugs and told to stay at home.
Tests were also carried out on health staff at the centre and other Starrett employees who may have come into contact with the visitor.
However, most members of the 250-strong workforce simply received leaflets from the health authority reminding them of the widely-publicised advice not the attend GP surgeries or hospitals if displaying symptoms, but to remain at home and call NHS24.
Fully recovered, the executive who had inadvertently flouted that advice, has now been flown home.
Dr Patterson said NHS Borders was unable to give specific details of the outbreak to preserve patient confidentiality but he confirmed the outbreak had been contained and that the foreign visitor’s infection had not been acquired in the UK.
“This was a small cluster which, given the seven-day incubation period of the virus, has been contained by our actions,” he told TheSouthern. “It was also fortuitous that the schools broke up for holidays on Thursday because schoolchildren are known as super-spreaders of any infections.
“At the moment we are able to deal with a limited number of clusters such as this by pro-actively managing those with symptoms.
