‘Catch it, bin it, kill it’ man has caught it

The actor who starred in a Department of Health TV campaign showing the public how not to spread swine flu has come down with the illness himself. David McCusker, whose career has encompassed fringe theatre, PC World commercials and voiceovers for art installations, was filmed spraying his mucus all over a poor family in an elevator, and then sneezing correctly into a handkerchief.

During filming, he had to sneeze 30 times so that the special effects company, who had previously worked on the James Bond film Quantum of Solace, could get it looking just right.

Now McCusker has contracted the virus himself and been confined to bed with a dose of Tamiflu. Echoing the slogan used in the TV campaign, the 30-year-old from south London said: "I was supposed to 'Catch it, Bin it, Kill it'. But instead I've been shivering, shaking and spreading it."

He added: "It was a shock when I found out. I quarantined myself to sweat it out. I've been getting lots of stick from mates."

The number of swine flu cases reported in Britain has fallen significantly this week, from a high of 110,000 the previous week to only 30,000. However, there is still concern that the pandemic could return when children go back to school for the autumn term. Once a vaccine is available, the government may decide to vaccinate all pupils aged between five and 16.

Meanwhile, the Iranian government has had to stop pilgrims from travelling to Mecca on the Hajj because of swine flu. "We will have no pilgrims in Saudi Arabia during the month of Ramadan," announced Health Minister Mohammad Bagher Lankarani. ·