AN OUTBREAK of bird 'flu in Aragón has led to 11 people being admitted to intensive care and nine others under observation on wards.

The regional government says nine patients are in various hospitals in the province of Zaragoza, of whom eight are in the intensive care unit, and 11 in centres in Teruel province, three of whom are in the ICU at the Obispo Palanco city hospital.

They are said to have been affected by the H1N1 virus which causes the so-called avian influenza, or more commonly referred to as bird 'flu, a potentially life-threatening condition which first hit the headlines nearly eight years ago.

Health authorities in Aragón say this is 'not an habitual outbreak' and have attempted to assuage fears of an epidemic, but they have activated emergency procedures set up to handle bird 'flu cases.

These involve vaccinating the immediate family members and anyone else who has come into contact with the patient, who is placed in isolation.

Aragón's health ministry has also stressed the importance of anyone who works with the public, especially the sick, elderly or children and anyone with a pre-existing medical condition or aged 60 or over ensuring they have their annual influenza vaccinations, which are normally available until March.

This said, the jab does not protect against bird 'flu or its mutant form discovered five years ago, swine 'flu.