A member of staff at a Stoke-on-Trent high school has contracted swine flu. Kathie McInnes reports on the first case to be confirmed in North Staffordshire.

THE first swine flu case in North Staffordshire has come to light just as a wave of other people across the West Midlands are being treated for the virus.

Yesterday alone, there were 23 new confirmed cases in the region. They included a member of staff at Edensor Technology College, in Longton.

Health officials don't know whether the person at Edensor is an isolated case or if they are connected to any of the other patients.

The member of staff is thought to have contracted it while on a recent holiday abroad. They complained of flu-like symptoms after returning to England.

The authorities have refused to release many details because they want to protect the person's identity. But they stress there is no great risk to pupils and colleagues at Edensor, which has around 1,000 students.

Health tips have been given to families and anyone who shows signs of the virus is urged to remain off school until they are symptom free. They should also take medical advice, although this is best done by phoning a GP or NHS Direct, rather than visiting a surgery.

Dr Rashmi Shukla, regional director of public health, said: "There are simple steps that everyone can take to help prevent catching colds and flu.

"Always use a tissue to catch your sneezes, throw away used tissues and regularly wash your hands."

A spokesman for the University Hospital of North Staffordshire said staff were prepared for an outbreak, but had not yet been alerted to any cases at the hospital.

The health response locally is being led by NHS North Staffordshire, with support from the Health Protection Agency and the city's primary care trust. As the confirmed case involves someone who works at a school, Stoke-on-Trent City Council has also been involved.

Ged Rowney, pictured, Stoke-on-Trent's director of children and young people's services, said: "We will monitor the situation closely and act on the advice of our health partners."

The member of staff at Edensor is the area's first official swine flu victim, but there have been a number of other suspected cases in recent months.

In April, The Sentinel reported how 13 people in North Staffordshire and Shropshire, including three in Stoke-on-Trent, were tested for swine flu.

They all developed symptoms after returning from Mexico. None of these people turned out to have the virus.

Some families have vowed to keep their children away from the college following the flu scare, but others are less worried.

Mother-of-two Wendy Dale, aged 42, from Fenton, said: "I don't think there should be any panic. It only kills people in the worst-case scenarios."

But Sharon Watts, from Fenton, who has two children at Edensor, said: "I'm a bit concerned they haven't closed the school. I'm worried it could spread."

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