Global General

Special

Newsmaker

Asia Pacific

America

Middle East

Europe

Africa

Potter actor gets H1N1 flu in Britain: publicist

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-07-05 09:32

LONDON: Actor Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films, has contracted H1N1, his publicist said Saturday, three days before the latest Potter blockbuster premieres in London.

Actor Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films, pictured here in February 2009, has contracted H1N1, his publicist said Saturday, three days before the latest Potter blockbuster premieres in London. [Agencies]

Grint took several days off filming the next movie in the series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", but is still expected to join co-stars on the red carpet for the launch of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" Tuesday.

"It has just been confirmed that Rupert Grint has taken a few days out of filming due to a mild bout of H1N1," his publicist said in a statement.

"He has now recovered and is looking forward to joining his fellow cast members at the junket and premieres this week and will then return to filming directly afterwards."

She added that filming was not disrupted by the 20-year-old's absence.

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" opens in most of Europe on July 15 and in the United States and Japan two days later.

Four people have died in Britain of H1N1, the A(H1N1) virus, and the country has Europe's highest number of reported cases with nearly 7,500.

The government warned this week that figure could rise to over 100,000 new cases a day by the end of August.

Full coverage:  A（H1N1）Influenza Outbreak Related readings:  2nd mass infection of flu in Beijing  Official: Flu patient didn't die from H1N1  Battle against H1N1 may develop new diagnosis  Mainland A (H1N1) flu cases rise to 915, one death  Brazil finds new strain of H1N1 virus  WHO: H1N1 flu pandemic now, 1st in 41 years