Further swine flu cases confirmed

Anti-viral drugs are being issued to those affected by swine flu

A further 41 people have been diagnosed with swine flu in the UK, bringing the total number of cases to 707.

The Scottish government says 32 patients have tested positive for swine flu in Scotland.

In England the Department of Health has confirmed that nine more people have been diagnosed with the virus.

The new cases come as a senior World Health Organisation (WHO) official said the world is getting "very close" to a swine flu pandemic.

Keiji Fukuda, WHO assistant director-general, said the organisation is focusing on helping countries to deal with a pandemic situation if one is declared.

Four children at a Glasgow nursery were among those to catch the virus. Pollokshaws Day Nursery School will close for seven days.

Of the 32 new confirmed cases in Scotland, seven are travel-related.

The majority of the new Scottish cases - 22 - are in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area, while there are eight new cases in Highland and one each in Lanarkshire and Lothian.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said four of the new English cases were in London, three in the West Midlands and two in north-west England.

In the UK more than 500 cases are currently under laboratory investigation, according to the HPA.

Stag party

A school in Berkshire has closed after a child was confirmed as having the virus.

Berkshire West NHS said the infected child at Emmbrook Junior School in Wokingham was making a "good recovery".

The school opened temporarily until noon on Tuesday to allow children and staff to receive antiviral inoculations. It will reopen on 16 June.

"This is to reduce the impact of the possible spread of the infection," said head teacher Paul Rowe.

Two Birmingham schools have also been shut following an outbreak of swine flu.

One case of the virus was confirmed at St James Church of England Primary School and four at Heathfield Primary School, both in the Handsworth area.

A case of swine flu has also been confirmed at the public school Malvern College in Worcestershire.

The virus has been contracted by a boy who is boarding at the college but the school will not be closing.

The HPA said five schools are currently closed in England and the Scottish government has also reported five full closures.

Some schools are also subject to partial closures, where particular year groups are asked to stay at home.

It has also emerged that a groom and his best man are among four men who tested positive for swine flu after returning from a stag trip to Las Vegas.

One of the men is a teacher at a high school in Stoke-on-Trent and another is from a village in north Staffordshire. The other two live in the North-East.

There were 17 men on the stag trip to the US. After one member of the party reported feeling unwell, the rest of the group was then swabbed.