Tracking the next pandemic: Avian Flu Talk |
~~Pupils Offered Bird Flu Treatment |
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Posted: May 28 2007 at 6:01am |
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The year five pupil at Ysgol Henllan, Denbighshire, is linked to a smallholding near Corwen, Conwy, where a mild form of the virus was found. Officials said nine 11-year-olds in years five and six were being offered tamiflu to protect them from infection. Four people have tested positive for bird flu and 11 have shown flu-like symptoms, but no-one is seriously ill. The child who is believed to have the virus is said to be responding to treatment at home.
Twelve children and two teachers from the school have been identified as having been in prolonged close contact with the pupil, on days when there was a "small risk" of the child being infectious. Only these children and staff have been offered tamiflu - an antiviral medication which reduces the severity of any impact of the infection. The parents of each child are being contacted by staff at the National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHS). Dr Brendan Mason from the NPHS, 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. "It is very rare to see this particular flu virus so we are taking every reasonable precaution to eliminate it from the community." Dr Mason said the NPHS was contacting all parents by letter to invite them to meet officials at 1700 BST on Monday and Tuesday. "From a public health perspective, the school will be safe to reopen as normal after the half term break. The risk of avian flu to the public is low." Officials have now traced 36 people in total who may have been in contact with the disease, although only 11 of these have shown flu-like symptoms. The confirmed case involved a smallholding at Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr, Conwy. Owners Tony Williams and Barbara Cowling, who have tested negative for the virus, called in a vet after their Rhode Island Red chickens began to die. They bought the chickens at Chelford Market at Macclesfield, Cheshire, some 70 miles (112 km) away, on 7 May. A total of 30 chickens from the smallholding have now been slaughtered after 15 birds died. Officials have stressed that the disease found at the Conwy farm was the H7N2 strain of bird flu, not the more virulent H5N1. The second possible case emerged on Saturday about 35 miles (56 km) away, at a farm on the outskirts of Efailnewydd, near Pwllheli. It has also been linked to the market. Officials have said there is not a "significant risk" to public health. A helpline has been set up to offer information about bird flu. The number is 0845 600 3678, and it is open from 0700 - 2000 BST daily.
They are asked to contact their local animal health office or the Defra helpline 08459 335577. Lines are open between 0900 - 1700 BST seven days a week |
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Welsh Children Vaccinated For Bird Flu After Outbreak Of Mild H7N2 Virus
May 28, 2007 10:15 a.m. EST Sally Grover - AHN Staff Writer
Wales, United Kingdom (AHN) - After a small outbreak of bird flu among humans, vaccination has become available for schoolchildren in Corwen. It is the mild form H7N2 form of the virus, not the more virulent H5N1, which has infected an 11 year old and classmates have been urged to get vaccinated to protect themselves from infection. Pupils at Ysgol Henllan, Denbigshire, will be treated with Tamiflu to prevent the bird flu from spreading. Dr. Brendan Manson from the NPHS, 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. It is very rare to see this particular flu virus so we are taking every reasonable precaution to eliminate it from the community." Recently, four people have tested positive to the H7N2 bird flu and another 11 have shown symptoms in Wales. The Welsh government released a statement, saying, "For this reason, the NPHS is contacting every individual who has been in close contact with the people who are cases. People identified as contacts are being offered medication to reduce the severity of any impact from the infection." The outbreak has so far been traced back to chickens purchased at Chelford Market, Cheshire |
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Mild bird flu found in Wales spreads to humansMon May 28, 2007 1:18PM EDT
By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - Pupils and staff at a school in Wales are being offered anti-flu drugs after being in contact with a child suspected of contracting bird flu in an outbreak of a mild strain of the virus, health authorities said on Monday. Teachers and children at the school, which is close to a farm in Corwen, North Wales, where the H7N2 strain of bird flu was discovered last week, were being treated with antiviral medication as a precaution, the National Public Health Service (NPHS) said in a statement. A total of 12 people have been identified as suffering from the flu, reporting "symptoms of a flu like illness or conjunctivitis" it said, but stressed no one was seriously ill. It identified 142 people who may have had contact with the avian flu and said it could not rule out person-to-person contact. "Person-to-person spread would be very unusual but limited spread of this type has been seen elsewhere in the past in some cases of bird flu," said Dr Marion Lyons of the NPHS. "As a precautionary measure the NPHS is continuing to offer people who have had contact with individuals with this illness antiviral medication to minimize the risk of spread. " Authorities confirmed an outbreak of bird flu last Thursday among chickens at a farm in North Wales. NOT H5N1 But it was the low pathogenic H7N2 strain of bird flu, not the H5N1 strain, which is potentially deadly to humans and has caused scares elsewhere in the past. Lyons said that investigations into the H7N2 strain had shown that when it spreads from person to person, the illness become milder. But she added: "Experience of this particular bird flu virus in humans is limited so we are actively managing the public health response." Britain has been on the watch for bird disease after Europe's biggest turkey producer Bernard Matthews was forced to destroy 160,000 turkeys because of an outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in England earlier this year. The World Health Organization says 186 people have died of bird flu since the H5N1 virus resurfaced in Southeast Asia in 2003. The virus has since spread throughout much of Asia, parts of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The presence of an H7 virus in poultry is treated seriously by animal health officials because scientists believe that, when allowed to circulate in poultry populations, a low pathogenic virus can mutate into the highly pathogenic form. |
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Let's see how many are sick next week and how ill. This will be a major factor in how agressive this H7N2 virus is becoming.
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The recent outbreak at the Matthews farm is worrisome. Am wondering if this is related.
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Ravendawn
Valued Member Joined: March 16 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 462 |
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Thanks for the post babygirl.If this hits the schools the spread will be fast,i had a feeling schools would play a part in this,most schools are off for a week at the moment.Fingers crossed this comes to nothing.
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http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/news.cfm?orgid=719&contentid=6794 Precautionary action at Ysgol Henllan, DenbighshireMonday, 28 May 2007As a precaution, pupils in Years 5 and 6 at Ysgol Henllan, Denbighshire, are 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. �It is very rare
to see this particular flu virus so we are taking every reasonable
precaution to eliminate it from the community. �There
are 58 pupils in the school, but none of the others have been in close
contact and do not need any treatment. However, we realise that this
incident may cause anxieties for parents of all children in the school.
We are contacting all the parents by letter to invite them to meet with
Public Health and Education Officials at 5pm on Monday 28 May and also
5pm on Tuesday 29 May. �From a public health
perspective, the school will be safe to reopen as normal after the half
term break. The risk of avian flu to the public is low.� People with specific concerns about their health should contact their GP as usual. A Special Helpline available for general information about avian flu in people is open from 7am to 8pm daily. The number is 0845 600 3678. Further information will be posted on this website as it becomes available. An information sheet prepared by the NPHS for people who may have been exposed to Avian Flu is available from the link: Information for people who may have been exposed to avian flu This information sheet is also available in Welsh from the link: Gwybodaeth i bobl a allai fod wedi cael eu hamlygu i ffliw adar An updated Q&A information sheet for the public prepared by the NPHS is available to download from the link: Q&A Avian Influenza in North Wales (updated 26/05/2007) This information sheet is also available in Welsh from the link: Gwybodaeth i�r Cyhoedd ar ffurf Cwestiynau ac Atebion am Ffliw Adar H7N2 yng Ngogledd Cymru Situation updates are also available from the Welsh Assembly Government website at: http://new.wales.gov.uk/news/presreleasearchive/?lang=en A
map detailing the Avian Influenza Restricted Zone declared in
accordance with Article 55 of the Avian Influenza and Influenza of
Avian Origin in Mammals (Wales) (No.2) Order 2006 is also given on the
Welsh Assembly website at: http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/ahw/disease_surveillance_control/avianflu/avianfludeclaration/?lang=en More
information about avian influenza is also available from the Department
of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/index.htm |
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Good find Ann thnx ~~
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