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The first person in Europe to die from the H1N1 virus |
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Written by Phillip LaVeque
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Wednesday, 17 June 2009 |
The Crown Office said a procurator fiscal had established that Jacqueline Fleming, 38, died of
multiple organ failure brought on by the H1N1 virus.
She had underlying health problems and had been in hospital since the premature birth of her son.
The baby also died, a day after his mother, but at no stage was infected with the virus.
Ms Fleming, from the Thornliebank area to the south of Glasgow, is believed to be the first person in Europe to die after becoming infected with Influenza A (H1N1).
She had been treated at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley for two weeks since the birth of her son Jack, who was 11 weeks premature.
A further 22 people have been diagnosed with swine flu in Scotland, bringing the total number of laboratory confirmed cases of the virus to 530.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon also announced that laboratory testing of all cases in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS area would be resumed, reversing a decision to allow GPs to make a diagnosis.
The change had resulted in a big increase in reported possible cases, but there was concern about the accuracy of the figures.
Ms Sturgeon said: "It is important that we have accurate figures to give us a true picture of how the virus is spreading.
"That is why we have resumed laboratory testing for all cases in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.
"Clinical diagnosis has not proven to be as effective as originally thought. Further assessment is being carried out to assess the accuracy of the clinical diagnosis process."
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