In almost all cases of human H7 infection to date, the virus has only caused a mild disease.

 

H7 avian flu remains largely a disease of birds. Almost all human H7 infections documented so far have been associated with close contact with dead or dying poultry. In any case, it is very difficult for human beings to catch flu from birds. There has to be very close and continued contact for this to happen and this contact in an enclosed space. The H7 virus also does not transmit easily from person to person.

 

Dr Marion Lyons, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control for the National Public Health Service for Wales, said:-

“As a precaution, we are identifying all those who have been in very close contact with the birds in the last seven days so that we can offer them an anti viral medicine called tamiflu. This can help in reducing symptoms. We are also contacting all those people who have been in close contact with those people living on the smallholding since they fell ill a week ago.”