The number of swine flu cases in the UK is probably double the official figure, a leading bacteriologist has said.
The official total stands at well above 500 after more cases were confirmed on Saturday, but Prof Hugh Pennington told BBC 5 Live the real figure is higher.
“I think it would be very reasonable to say we’ve got at least twice as many cases as we know about,” he said.
Meanwhile, a woman with swine flu who gave birth prematurely is critically ill and her baby is in intensive care.
The baby was born on Monday afternoon, at 29 weeks, in the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.
On Sunday, a case of swine flu was confirmed at the British Army’s biggest base, Catterick Garrison, in North Yorkshire.
The soldier has “mild symptoms” after coming into contact with another infected person while away from the base.
Three of his close colleagues are also displaying symptoms, but it is not confirmed that they have the virus.
Before this latest case, the number of people with swine flu in the UK had increased to 541 after 19 more cases were confirmed in England, as well as 13 new ones in Scotland and one further case in Northern Ireland.
117 global deaths
Professor Pennington, a bacteriologist at Aberdeen University, says that because swine flu is similar to seasonal flu, there will be many more undeclared cases.
“All the experts think that the numbers we’ve got are a significant underestimate.
“In the United States, they think for every case they know about, every confirmed case, there are 20 other cases out there in the community.
“I don’t think we’re anywhere near that, but I think it would be very reasonable to say we’ve got at least twice as many cases as we know about, and it may be more than that.”
Worldwide there have been 19,315 confirmed swine flu cases in 66 countries, with 117 deaths – all in Mexico and the US.
