Londoner is treated for swine flu

One Londoner has contracted the H1N1 swine flu virus

A man in London has contracted swine flu after a recent trip to Mexico, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has confirmed.

The 22-year-old patient from the Barnet area of north London, is one of the three new cases of the H1N1 virus in England.

The two others are a 12-year-old girl from Devon and a Worcestershire woman.

All three new patients were undergoing treatment and were responding well to medication, Mr Brown said.

Patient confidentiality

Dr Andrew Burnett, medical director at Barnet Primary Care Trust said: "We can confirm that a 22-year-old man is being treated at home for mild flu-like symptoms and has tested positive for swine influenza.

"This patient had recently travelled back from Mexico."

He said the man would not be identified, in line with patient confidentiality.

It comes after a woman, who had been undergoing tests for suspected swine flu in the West Middlesex University Hospital after visiting Mexico, was given the all-clear.

She was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday morning after walking in with flu-like symptoms.

Swine flu is a respiratory disease, caused by influenza type A, which infects pigs.

Until now it has not normally infected humans, but the latest form of the virus can.

It can be spread from person to person - probably through coughing and sneezing.

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A 22-year-old man in Barnet has been diagnosed with the illness