Swine flu alert as Mexico flight lands at Birmingham International Airport

Apr 28 2009 By Christina Savvas and Paul Suart

A FLIGHT from Mexico landed at Birmingham International Airport today with medics on red alert for swine flu.

The Thomson flight packed with holidaymakers returning from Cancun touched down at 8.30am.

Doctors and nurses were at the airport waiting to check on the health of the passengers on flight TOM578 and offer help to anyone feeling unwell.

Earlier today, a passenger on another incoming flight from Mexico was treated by medics at Manchester Airport, the Health Protection Agency said.

A HPA spokesman said: “We can confirm that paramedics supported by airport health officials and the Health Protection Agency treated a passenger who became ill during the flight from Mexico to Manchester airport earlier today.

“Tests are being undertaken in an attempt to establish the cause of illness.”

Britons were warned to avoid all but essential travel to Mexico today as world health officials said the deadly swine flu virus can no longer be contained.

The UK braced itself for further cases as officials issued new travel advice after the World Health Organisation (WHO) raised its alert over the outbreak to level four, signifying a “significant increase in risk of a pandemic”.

The first two British cases were confirmed yesterday and more suspected infections emerged last night.

But a West Bromwich man who has returned from Mexico has told of how there was “no mention” of the deadly swine fever outbreak at the resort where he was staying.

Sid Cashmore, aged 50, and other passengers arriving at Gatwick on a Thomas Cook flight from Cancun said they had walked straight through to arrivals with no problems.

The self-employed businessman was travelling back from a holiday with his wife Mandy, 48, and son Greg, aged 13.