Shropshire has been hit with its first case of swine flu, as the number of people affected across the country passed the 400 mark today.

A woman from Telford, believed to be in her 30s, was struck down with the virus after recently returning from a trip to the USA. Health officials refused to give more information. She is one of 41 new cases confirmed in Britain yesterday.

A spokesman for NHS Telford and Wrekin would not give details of the patient.

“They are recovering at home and responding well to their treatment,” said the spokesman.

The total number of people in the UK with the virus now stands at 404, with 313 in England, 88 in Scotland, two in Northern Ireland and one in Wales.

Shropshire health services have previously said they are well prepared to deal with an outbreak and have “robust” plans in place.

Today Lindsay MacHardy, joint interim director of public health programmes at Shropshire County Primary Care Trust, said: “All health organisations have plans in place to deal with an issue like swine flu, and we are currently working to these plans to make sure that we are prepared.

Specialist

“This includes working with and providing information to GPs and other public sector organisations, with specialist support from the Health Protection Agency.”

Dr Gill Clements, medical director of the out-of-hours Shropdoc service, said: “We are expecting an influx of calls but we are prepared.”

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust has “comprehensive plans” in place to respond to a flu pandemic.

NHS West Midlands said 13 of the new cases reported in the region yesterday were linked to Welford Primary School in Handsworth, Birmingham – the UK’s largest outbreak where a total of 96 people have now been diagnosed.

Meanwhile in Scotland a fourth victim has been admitted to intensive care.

On Tuesday it was revealed that a man and a woman are being treated in intensive care, both in Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley.

The pair – a 45-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman – are in a “critical but stable” condition.

The man is believed to be the first case in the UK to be admitted to intensive care without any underlying health problems.

By Health Correspondent Dave Morris