SWINE flu is spreading rapidly in Enfield, but it remains a mild disease that poses little danger to most people, according to health bosses.

The virus is expected to spread to all Enfield schools by the end of the month.

Seven people across the UK have so far died after becoming infected, but they all had other health problems.

Eighteen people have been diagnosed with swine flu since the first Enfield case was identified in the middle of June.

A further three suspected cases are still be tested.

Enfield Council's director of health and adult social care Ray James would not say whether the recent cases were children or adults or where they lived.

But he said that the council was gearing up for an estimated 500 new cases a day.

Speaking alongside Mr James and the council’s co-director of education and children’s services, Neil Rousell, NHS Enfield's director of public health Dr Shahed Ahmad said he did not know how many people were currently infected, as the Department of Health had moved away from testing people to an observation diagnosis by doctors.

Without a blood test, there is no clinical way to tell the difference between normal "seasonal" flu and swine flu, but Dr Ahmad said GPs could assume those with flu-like symptoms during the summer months had swine flu as seasonal flu was not common at this time.

He wanted to reassure people the disease was mild and there were enough supplies of antiviral drug, Tamiflu, available.

He said: “I have 32,000 doses at 5,000 collection points across the borough.

“We've got more than enough capacity. We review it every day and we are very comfortable.

"In a vast majority of cases this is a very mild illness and people recover very quickly. It is similar to seasonal flu."

The drugs do not cost Enfield taxpayers any money directly - they are supplied by the Department of Health at no cost to the borough and there are no prescription charges for those who take it.

Deliveries of a newly developed vaccine are expected from August.

The three defended the decision not to release the information to the public until now, saying the changing nature of the disease meant it was difficult to be accurate.

Mr James said: "I think we're trying to manage the situation as carefully as we possibly can. Clearly we wouldn't want to do anything that breaches patient confidentiality."

Since the end of June, the Department of Health has moved its swine flu policy from what is known as a "containment phase" to "treatment phase".

Instead of closing workplaces or schools, doctors are treating people infected in their homes but not isolating or treating all those who may have come in contact with the disease.

Anyone with flu-like symptoms of fever, high temperature and aches and pains is advised to stay at home, ring their GP and nominate a “flu friend” to go to collect their prescription and drugs.

Visit www.nhs.co.uk or call the swine flu helpline on 0800 1 513 513 for more information.