Pupils suffering from swine flu

Hygiene advice is being offered to people

Two pupils at a Cardiff secondary school have been diagnosed with swine flu and are recovering at home.

Cases are also suspected at a private junior school in the city and among two Aberystwyth students who have just completed their A-levels.

Officials said there are 58 laboratory confirmed cases in Wales, but that figure is only part of the total.

Wales' Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Jewell said there are "robust plans" in place to deal with the flu spreading.

Mr Jewell said: "Scientific advice now is that there will continue to be a rise in the number of cases across the UK and, knowing the infection is circulating we have moved to treatment rather than trying to slow the spread of disease."

He said they were now relying on clinical symptoms rather than laboratory tests to confirm swine flu, and stopping giving preventative medicine to people patients have been in contact with, unless clinicians decide it is appropriate.

HYGIENE ADVICE

Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue where possible

Dispose of tissues promptly and carefully

Wash hands frequently with soap and water

Clean hard surfaces such as door handles regularly with a normal cleaning product

Help your children to follow hygiene advice

Source: National Public Health Service for Wales/Welsh Assembly Government

Whitchurch High School in Cardiff said it has two cases of the flu among pupils. Both are recovering at home.

One parent in Howell's Junior School in Cardiff has been told by their GP that their daughter could have swine influenza.

Parents have been told that the girl is not in school, and will stay at home until she is fully recovered.

In Aberystwyth, a group of students from Penwedidig school who have been on a post A-level exam holiday to Ibiza have also developed flu-like symptoms, and two have been given antiviral treatment.

The total number of cases listed by the health authorities in Wales has risen by eight to 58 on Tuesday with the new cases confirmed in Rhondda, Torfaen, Newport, Merthyr Tydfil and Conwy.

Immunity

In addition, there are 28 clinically presumed cases of the illness - household contacts of confirmed cases who are presumed to have swine flu.

In total, 280 people have been under investigation in Wales and seven cases are still being investigated.

So far only two people have been taken to hospital in Wales and have been discharged.

There are now 7,642 laboratory cases of swine flu in the UK, with Wales and Northern Ireland, which has just 45 cases, have the lowest number.

Seven people have died of the swine flu in the UK. All had underlying health conditions

Swine flu cases have been officially confirmed in 135 countries.

Dr Roland Salmon, Director of the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre at the National Public Health Service for Wales, said people have little or no immunity to this flu because it is new.

"For this reason, we know it will spread across the country eventually."

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