Wales Update on person to person spread of swine flu resistant to Tamiflu

From my previous Post entitled: Commonground Summary: Tamiflu Resistant Comparisons of Wales & NC .....[http://tinyurl.com/ya3smsx]

Wales
- 5 people confirmed with Tamiflu resistance
- In hospital at time of becoming infected
- All were severely ill at time of infection
- In same ward of hospital housing patients with severe illnesses
- 2 have recovered and discharged
- 1 in critical care
- 2 still being treated
- 4 others infected (“with same genetic mutation” Health Protection Agency)
- 1 of these were helped with Tamiflu
- 3 others it is not clear.
- Same ward as the 5 confirmed Tamiflu resistance

25 November 2009

One additional patient has tested positive for swine flu resistant to Tamiflu at a Cardiff hospital unit.

The patient – who was linked with the previous group of five people found to be resistant to Tamiflu last week – was tested as part of the routine screening arrangements introduced at the University Hospital of Wales.

Test results are still awaited on one other direct contact of the six patients with swine flu resistant to Tamiflu. All other patients on the unit have now tested negative for the virus.

Three of the patients remain in hospital, with one in critical care and the others being treated in isolation on the unit.

Dr Roland Salmon, Director of the NPHS Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, said:
“It was not unexpected that more patients exposed to the original cases would test positive for this strain of swine flu as we now know that it has passed from person to person within the unit.

“The emergence of influenza A viruses that are resistant to Tamiflu is not unexpected in patients with serious underlying conditions and suppressed immune systems, who still test positive for the virus despite treatment.

“In this case, the resistant strain of swine flu does not appear to be any more severe than the swine flu virus that has been circulating since April.

“For the vast majority of people, Tamiflu has proved effective in reducing the severity of illness. Vaccination remains the most effective tool we have in preventing swine flu so I urge people identified as being at risk to look out for their invitation to be vaccinated by their GP surgery.”

Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Tony Jewell, said: “We know that people with suppressed immune systems are more susceptible to the swine flu virus, which is why they are a priority group under the first phase of the vaccination programme in Wales which is progressing well.