HEREFORDSHIRE is prepared for swine flu - just in case the county suffers an outbreak.

NHS Herefordshire and Herefordshire Council together with the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and the Department of Health are prepared to take the necessary action if required.

Dr Akeem Ali, director of public health, said: “In Herefordshire, we are taking all the steps we need to at this stage to be prepared, but there are also a few simple steps that everyone can take to help prevent catching colds and flu based on good respiratory and hand hygiene. “ These include: • Covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing and using a tissue when possible.

• Disposing of dirty tissues promptly and carefully.

• Maintaining good basic hygiene particularly washing hands frequently.

• Clean hard surfaces (e.g. door handles) frequently using a normal cleaning product.

“The good news from Mexico and other affected areas is that given antivirals like Tamiflu early enough, the people who get this seem to be recovering”, said Dr Ali.

“The NHS has a range of measures in place, including enough antivirals to treat half the population of the UK if they become ill”.

Swine influenza is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by a virus. Human infections can happen but are most common in people around pigs.