Accrington schoolboy contracts swine flu (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Accrington schoolboy contracts swine flu

9:50am Tuesday 30th June 2009 in

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AN 11-year-old boy has been confirmed as the first person from East Lancashire to have contracted swine flu.

Qaasim Pervaiz, a pupil at Hyndburn Park Primary School in Accrington, was taken ill last week and now tests have confirmed that he had the illness.

Lancashire County Council said the school would not be closed as a result of the diagnosis and there was no need to treat any of his classmates with anti-viral medication.

His family have spoken of their shock at the news but yesterday he told the Lancashire Telegraph: “I’m fine”.

Mum Marie said she is mystified as to how her son picked up the virus.

Qaasim, who is in the Scouts and local football and boxing clubs, was removed from classes after becoming very ill on Thursday.

He was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital and at first it was feared that he had meningitis.

It was only on Saturday that he was tested for swine flu and discharged.

On Sunday the illness was confirmed following tests in Manchester.

He is currently being looked after at his home in Norfolk Grove, Church, under the care of his family’s GP.

Marie said: “He was very ill at the weekend in hospital.

"He had a high temperature of 39.9 degrees. But now he is fine.

“He’s on a five-day course of Tamiflu and should be back to school next week.

“At the moment I feel like we are being treated as if Qaasim has the plague.

"The reaction of some people has been very upsetting. He is now back to his normal self.”

She said the family, including brothers Azeem, 15, and Adil, eight, and sister Shameelah, had no idea how he caught the illness.

Marie said: “He is involved in lots of clubs and activities so maybe he picked something up. It’s all been such a shock.”

Nationwide there are now more than 4,250 cases which are mainly focussed in the South East, West Midlands and Scotland.

Swine Flu came to this country after an outbreak in Mexico in April.

So far three people have died in the UK from the illness, including a nine-year-old girl in Birmingham, although most cases have been mild.

The Health Protection Agency was immediately informed after Qaasim was confirmed as having swine flu and the hospital trust has identified all of the children and staff he came into contact with.

Qaasim’s sister Zahra Begum, 21, and her daughter Aleesha, 20 months, have been checked out by doctors after they picked him up from school on Thursday.

Zahra is particularly at risk because she is six months pregnant.

Rineke Schram, medical director at the hospital, said: “Given the national rise in confirmed cases this was not unexpected.

"I am confident that we were well prepared and that the guidance we have received from the Department of Health was followed in full.

“Whilst the public will understandably be concerned that East Lancashire has had its first confirmed case, it is important to emphasise that, as in this case, for the vast majority of patients the symptoms are similar to normal winter flu and respond well to treatment.

“On the whole patients in this category respond well to paracetamol and fluids.

"For the small number of patients who may present to us in the future with more serious symptoms we have stocks of antiviral drugs and appropriate isolation facilities in place.

Yesterday parents at the school were handed letters explaining the situation.

Pupils were advised to continue attending school unless they become unwell.

Hyndburn Council leader Peter Britcliffe said: “My initial reaction is one of shock but we have to be careful not to blow this out of perspective.

“I think at this stage it is just a case of making sure that we keep things closely monitored.”