A WOMAN who became unwell on a flight from Mexico to Manchester this morning is being tested for deadly swine flu.
Officials from the Health Protection Agency met the plane from Cancun when it landed at Terminal One at 7.25am.
The woman, who is thought to be from the north west, was said to be 'quite well' but has been taken home by ambulance and will be monitored by her GP.
She will be tested as a precaution for the deadly virus which has already killed more than 100 people in Mexico.
Woman tested for swine flu to be discharged
Swine flu latest
Information
Other passengers aboard the Thomas Cook flight were given information about flu symptoms and a contact telephone number to call if they become unwell in the next few days.
A Thomas Cook flight due to leave Manchester for Cancun at 9.30am this morning was also cancelled, after the Foreign Office advised people to avoid non-essential travel.
Cancelled
All other flights from Manchester to Mexico scheduled to depart this week have been cancelled until travel restrictions are lifted.
A Health Protection Agency spokesman said: "We can confirm that paramedics supported by port health officials and the Health Protection Agency treated a passenger who became ill during a flight from Mexico to Manchester Airport earlier today.
'Influenza'
"Tests are being undertaken to attempt to establish the cause of the illness. All passengers and air crew on the flight are being given information on influenza and advised to telephone their GPs or NHS Direct if they should begin to display flu-like symptoms after returning home."
Around 300 passengers were on the jumbo jet which landed this morning, although many were unaware that the first British people diagnosed with the illness had recently honeymooned in Cancun. Most believed the virus was largely confined to Mexico City, 800 miles from the east coast resort.
Swine flu latest
'Unwell'
A Manchester Airport spokesman said: "Only one Thomas Cook flight was scheduled to return from Cancun to Manchester today and the HPA attended the flight after a passenger reported feeling unwell. Thomas Cook are currently reviewing the situation with their next flight out of Manchester not scheduled to leave until Friday.
'Updates'
"We advise any passengers scheduled to be travelling to Cancun from Manchester over the coming days to get in touch with their airline for further updates. Returning passengers who are concerned should speak to their GP." Manchester Airport operates eight flights a week to Cancun. The Foreign Office have also advised British nationals living in or visiting Mexico to consider returning home. For more information and advice contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647.
Comments
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OMG! We're all gonna die! Run for the hills!
Look, I appreciate it has already claimed a number of victims, but can we stop with the mass media hysteria? A couple of doctors have already gone on record as saying this is less virulent than bird flu, and we collectively managed to survive that one didn't we? The media may as well be hollering from the rooftops "YOU ARE ALL DOOMED! IF YOU DON'T DIE, YOU'LL BE SKINT! ANYWAY, THE BEST YOU CAN HOPE FOR IS TO LAST LONG ENOUGH TO BE DROWNED BY RISING SEA LEVELS! OR KNIFED BY 9 GANGS OF FERAL HOODIES!" Geez, just relax a little, people...
Thay have just cofirmed the first cases in britain, so we are all doomed nail your doors shut and bring out your dead, Armageddon is here! Oh please!
I told you all yesterday! We're DOOMED, DOOMED I tell's yer!
I thought it just gave you flu for a week? woo....
Maybe God's had enough of the human race, and think's the time is right for a fresh start.
Just think though - it would stop Labour MP's from ripping the taxpayer off.
All strains of flu are a swine, especially the last one I had!
One of the national papers suggested that it's been deliberately hyped to deflect the attention from our inept government and their problems. They wouldn't do that would they??
The paper also pointed out that when the NHS hospital (I think it was in Maidstone) had 345 cases of C Diff, the government didn't react this way then and the fact that people are dying from Malaria and other tropical diseases all the time. I couldn't help noticing the irony though that every country in the world has enough face masks except Britain, who will need 6 months to get ready
Swine flu, bird flu, Aids, global warming, bird strikes bringing down planes like confetti, ingrowing toenails...what next I ask. I'm so bloody fed up with the hysteria in this god forsaken country.
I blame it all on Princess Diana. You can trace all this over reaction back to that moment when Britain lost it's sanity and sense of proportion.
Swine flu my a**e. It's flu, we get outbreaks every year. Once or twice each century there is an epidemic, or to use the "in" word, pandemic, and I don't think this is it now. Get a grip UK!
Chris R, Irlam - I'd rather you didn't all run for the hills as I already live there and it would be mighty inconvinient to have strangers dying all over the place. I've just seen on the news that we're going to be safe in the UK anyway as the NHS have a large stockpile of oinkment (sorry - some old ones never were any good!)
"every country in the world has enough face masks except Britain"
Not true. Mexico only had 6 milli0n and they needed 90 million.
I have facemasks for sale @ £25 each
£5 to the person who spots the first clown in GM walking around with one on.
This is truly horrific news! I advocate city rioting, non payment of bills and moving the country en-mass to a cave north of Inverness.
nyb spot on!
Meanwhile I suspect I have swine flu, I have a rash-er!
I think this is just what the country needs we are hugely overpopulated, we havent had a decent plague in years, and it will sort out the housing problem and dentist waiting lists in one fell swoop.
If Mexico had "needed" 84 million extra facemasks, then the hysteria would be well founded. But, as 84 million people haven't popped their pinatas, and the most the lunchtime news can come up with in 15 minutes of scaremongering is a couple in Scotland (who are on the mend) and some newlyweds at ringway having their honeymoon cancelled, Its hardly armageddon.
The media acts hysterical, the hysterically-prone pop up wailing and gnashing that we're all doomed (again) and the rest of us are wondering what to have for tea.
I'm gonna have either pork, gammon or bacon for tea squirrelito.
My British 'stiff upper lip' (remember them?) is beginning to quiver in anticipation and it's only 1400H!
The news has said 50 million people could die - but won't they anyway???
With the recession all over the world, im sure that if 50 millions did pop there cloggs there would be a lot more jobs around!
Nothing like scaring the public out of their wits for nothing is there!
Paracetamols and bed that will cure it!
For the 2nd time in 2 months I'm ashamed to be British. The public's reactions to both this and Jade Goody's death have been shameful.
Perhaps I'll be better off moving to Mexico!
Oh yes you can all mock and make light of the frightful news but don't forget how the millenium bug turned out, the devastating effects of bird flu etc. Need I say more?
ive heard michael jackson is outaged as hes been wearing a mask for this day for twenty years,and yes is gigs are comeing up soon.i wonder if its mask only on the day,
I thought it just gave you flu for a week? woo....
flo, Manchester
28/04/2009 at 12:10
Does that mean I can just stay in bed for a week and catch up on my sky+?!
stalyvegasblue ... thank you.
For your rasher I suggest some oinkment.
You cannot expect to fly anywhere in the world and not pick something up
THe government gets into a right panic over this but they allow thousands of people to die of C-diff and MRSA in THEIR dirty hospitals! Incidentally,what happened to the bird flu that was going to wipe out half the world's population? These face masks are going to be great for terrorists,muggers,shoplifters,speeding drivers etc.CCTV will be rendered useless!