Doctors have confirmed that the bird flu outbreak in North Wales is over. The announcement was made yesterday nearly two weeks after the disease was discovered at a farm near Corwen
The disease discovered was the mild H7N2 strain, not the more virulent H5N1 variety.
But doctors have confirmed all 252 people, whose health was being monitored, have come out of the seven- day incubation period for the flu virus.
Dr Marion Lyons, lead consultant in Communicable Disease Control for the National Public Health Service for Wales, said: “There is no more risk of people in North Wales being infected with the virus.”
In all 17 people were suspected of having bird flu. Two tested positively for the mild H7 virus and all other test results were negative.
Dr Lyons added: “The illness people experienced was, for the most part, not serious. No one was seriously ill. The risk to the health of the general public was low.”
Investigations are however continuing into the outbreak at the smallholding near Corwen.
There will be further testing of the people who had symptoms by the NPHS and Health Protection Agency.
Dr Lyons added: “There will be lessons to be learned from this outbreak. These include scientific lessons with the possibility of an addition to the body of knowledge about bird flu.
“They also include practical lessons for the handling of other outbreaks and for the management of a flu pandemic.”
The disease is thought to have spread from infected chickens which were traded at the Chelford Market in Cheshire.
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