UK doctors warned of increasing pressure as A/H1N1 claims first victim

British authorities have insisted that the risk to public health from the A/H1N1 virus, commonly referred to as Swine Flu, remains low despite the first death being reported last Sunday.

But there are mounting fears in some medical circles that a rise in cases may create problems for doctors and the national health system.

In the UK, 1,320 people have so far been identified as having contracted the virus including 59 cases confirmed on Monday.

While there is an obvious concern from the risks of A/H1N1, so far the virus has not shown itself to be as deadly a threat as some have feared.

An estimated 12,000 people, mainly in the older age group, die every year from seasonal flu in the UK, according to the British Medical Association. In the U.S. tens of thousands die annually from seasonal flu.

But so far the entire global death rate from A/H1N1 remains well below 1,000, with the WHO confirming only 146 deaths.

Many of those affected by A/H1N1 are in a much younger age group, and some are otherwise healthy individuals.

The greatest fear amongst medical experts is the virus could mutate and become ever more deadly.

In the past, pandemics have killed more than a million around the world. Between 1918 and 1919, the so-called Spanish Flu was responsible for an estimated 20 to 40 million deaths.

And in more recent history the Asian Flu in 1957 and the Hong Kong Flu of 1968 killed up to 4 million between them.

For the full story by Dongying Wang, published by Xinhua News Agency in June 2009, please click here. Also, please return to the blog to post your comment.