The spread of the H1N1 strain world wide has reached such proportions that, according to the British health authorities, it can no longer be contained.

It is expected that by the end of August 2009, there could be as many as 100,000 new cases a day in Great Britain alone, the BBC has reported.

Meanwhile in Bulgaria, the latest case of swine flu, confirmed on June 2, has been confirmed. The patient is a  21-year-old lady from Sofia who returned from Britain on June 29. She displayed the typical symptoms, consulted a professional and was then placed in insulation. She is said to be in a stable condition.

The Bulgarian Health Ministry have also said that a 12-year-old boy from Stara Zagora has been diagnosed with the strain and has been admitted to the isolation unit of his local hospital. Reportedly, the boy is in a stable condition; the strain was caught in its early stages and he is expected to get better. Those two cases have taken the total toll if infected in the country to 13, Dnevnik daily has reported.

In a substantially grimmer forecast emanating from Britain, Andy Burnham, the health secretary in England, has said: "The national focus will be on treating the increasing numbers affected by swine flu.

"Cases are doubling every week and on this trend we could see more than 100 000 cases a day by the end of August," he said, quoted by the BBC.

According to the BBC, this means anti-flu drugs will no longer be given to those close to infected patients, nor will lab testing be done to confirm cases.

"Our efforts during the containment phase have given us precious time to learn more about the virus," Burnham said.