A woman from the Lothians has died after contracting swine flu.

It is known that the woman had significant underlying health conditions but no further information has been released on the request of her family.

It takes the death toll from the illness in Scotland to nine.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "The death of this woman is devastating for her family and friends, and I'd like to express my sincere condolences. 

"While this tragic death shows that in some cases the H1N1 virus can cause complications, I would like to stress that the majority of people contracting H1N1 are continuing to experience mild symptoms."

It comes as the latest Government figures reveal a significant increase in the number of people contacting their GPs to report flu-like illnesses in the past two weeks.

Health Protection Scotland said around 6,180 people have contracted the virus in the past week. The NHS agency said 13 people had required hospitalisation in the last week while, as of yesterday, 5 patients remained in round the clock care.

Ms Sturgeon said: "We have seen the figures show a significant increase in the number of people consulting their GP with flu-like symptoms and the number of overall estimated cases.  

"The potential threat from H1N1 remains serious, even if it continues to be a relatively mild virus. 

"Vaccination is the best defence we have against the H1N1 virus and Scotland is preparing very well for the vaccination programme."

She added: "In the vast majority of cases, most people have fairly mild symptoms and make a full recovery within a week. But it is important that anyone who is at greater risk gets the help they need as quickly as possible."