Swine Flu Media Bulletin Issued At: 11am Thursday 21 May 2009, Wales

- 0 confirmed cases in Wales. – 85 people have been under investigation in Wales. Of these, swine flu has been ruled out in 80 cases, leaving five still under investigation. All of these are displaying, or have displayed, mild symptoms. – The five people under investigation were well when first identified, but reported recent flu-like symptoms following travel to Mexico. Blood tests are being undertaken on these individuals to see if they had the flu and to help the NPHS understand the pattern of the disease from the past. Their symptoms may or may not have been due to swine flu. Testing will be conducted in a number of weeks to check whether these people did have swine flu – scientifically it won’t work before that. Investigations have shown that people they had close contact with did not catch flu from them when they were ill. 

- There are now 109 confirmed cases in the UK – 10 cases in Scotland, 98 cases in England and one in Northern Ireland. All of these are responding well to treatment. 

- For the latest international figures for the spread of swine flu, visit the website of the World Health Organization at www.who.int 

Comment from Welsh Assembly Government and National Public Health Service for Wales 

- Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Tony Jewell, said: 

“Whilst there have been no confirmed cases in Wales to date, we fully expect that there will be confirmed cases in due course. 

“It is therefore important people remain vigilant and maintain good hand and respiratory hygeine to reduce the risk of spreading of infection. 

“It is right that we are preparing for the possibility of a global pandemic and the UK’s arrangements continue to ensure that we are well-placed to deal with this new infection should it spread. 

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