# 830
The news out of Wales continues with more reports of suspected infections with the H7N2 virus. Additionally, another small holding hundreds of kilometers away is reporting dead or dying poultry. Whether this is due to H7N2, H5N1, Newcastle Disease, or some other cause is now under investigation.
First, the new cases, as outlined in this report from News Wakes.
31/5/2007
By 3pm yesterday, Wednesday, 17 avian flu contacts had been identified who have or have had symptoms of a flu like illness or conjunctivitis.
No one is seriously ill.
It is eight days since a 1km restriction zone was placed around Tn Llwyn farm in Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr, near Corwen, Denbighshire, after 15 chickens died from H7N2 avian flu.
As a precaution, pupils in Years 5 and 6 at Ysgol Henllan, Denbighshire, have been offered tamiflu to protect them from the very slight risk of infection with the H7 virus.
This precautionary action has been taken because a child in Year 5, linked to the smallholding near Corwen, is believed to have avian flu. The child is responding to treatment at home.
Twelve children and two teachers have been identified as being in prolonged close contact with the child in the classroom on the days when there was a very small risk of the child being infectious. The parents of each child are being contacted by staff at the National Public Health Service for Wales.
Only these children and staff have been offered tamiflu, an antiviral medication which reduces the severity of any impact of the infection.
Dr Brendan Mason, a consultant epidemiologist with the National Public Health Service for Wales, said, “This is an unusual step for us to take because the risk of the infection being passed from the child to other pupils is so small.
However, this particular virus usually only affects birds and is relatively unknown in humans. Its clinical characteristics have not been fully defined.
The National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHS) has identified 256 people who may have had contact with the avian flu:* 39 in the household setting (up eight on the day before)
* 14 in school (unchanged)
* 203 in the workplace setting (28 up on the day before)
Of the 256 contacts, 79 have come out of the incubation period for avian flu.
The full list of contacts is constantly changing as possible contacts are added to or taken off the database. Contacts are added if contact was possible. They are taken off if detailed questioning shows that there was no contact.
The outbreak in Chard, England is about as far away from North Wales as you can get in the United Kingdom. Chard is located in the South Western part of England.
Until tests are run, it is impossible to know if this is an avian flu outbreak. Obviously, nerves are running high in the UK right now, and any poultry die off is suspicious. This from the Western Gazette, in Somerset.
15:00 - 31 May 2007
Officials have launched an investigation at a smallholding in a village near Chard amid fears of an outbreak of avian flu.
Melanie Johnson, of Hillside, Stony Knaps, called a vet to her home on Tuesday after noticing possible signs of the contagious disease, better known as bird flu, in one of the 200 hens she keeps on her small-holding.
Vets from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs were called and have carried out tests. The results are expected in the next few days.
Miss Johnson said: "I was shocked. My first thought was it was bound to come down here eventually but why has it come to me?"The thought of losing those birds is devastating. If it is bird flu I want to make other people aware and urge them to look out for the signs.
"I rang my vet and explained the situation, and she said it sounded very similar to bird flu so she had to pass it on to Defra. They said they could not rule out the possibility that it was bird flu.
"I have had some healthy birds that have died suddenly and they are very worried about that because sudden death is another symptom of bird flu. It is absolutely terrifying."
Her farmhouse and its acre of grounds has been served with a notice of restriction and DEFRA vets were carrying out further blood and saliva tests on another 30 birds, which have been separated from the main brood, as the Western Gazette went to press.
No birds are allowed to be moved from the site and vehicle tyres and footwear must be washed if entering or leaving her property.
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