Swine flu kills three victims in region

Another three people with swine flu in the West Midlands have died, health chiefs announced today.

It takes the number of deaths involving people who have had the virus in the region to six.

One of them was at Walsall Manor Hospital.

News of the deaths comes as it was revealed there was an estimated 100,000 new cases of swine flu across the country last week.

This was around double the previous week and a new website set up to advise people worried they may have it received in the region of 2,600 hits a second in its first few hours.

It also emerged today that a pregnant 26-year-old who is critically ill with the bug has been transferred from Scotland to Sweden for specialist treatment after suffering a rare complication.

Bosses at NHS West Midlands say further investigations are under way into five of the West Midland deaths and that four of them were thought to have had serious underlying health conditions.

The other case involved a child who died at Birmingham Children's Hospital at the end of June.

Officials have also revealed there are currently 82 people with a positive swine flu test or symptoms being treated in hospitals across the West Midlands, with four in intensive care units.