Swine flu outbreak at holiday camp

TWENTY four children and three adult organisers have contracted "swine flu" at a children’s holiday camp in Mégève, Haute-Savoie.

The outbreak is the worst so far since the first cases of the illness were detected in France. However out of those affected two children and one adult are now said to be almost well again and the rest are “getting better.”

Most of the children are from the Paris area. They have been treated simply with paracetamol as with conventional flu.

In France more than 400 cases of the illness have been detected since the first outbreak two months ago. It is mainly being referred to in France as Grippe A - Flu A, from its official medical name A/H1N1. The EU is suggesting it be called novel (i.e. “new”) flu so as to avoid damage to the pork industry.

Vaccines reimbursed at 50% are expected to be available soon in France.