''Efficient H7N2 Transmission To Bird Flu Patients in England Recombinomics Commentary May 25, 2007
The Welsh health authorities said that in all but one of the four human cases the virus had spread from poultry. The other case may have been transmitted from person to person.
“Although the number of people involved is very small, we could be dealing with some spread of the H7 flu virus within the household setting,” said Dr. Marion Lyons, a communicable disease specialist with the Welsh health service. “We are treating this possibility very seriously.”
Officials are now following up all close contacts of the people who were ill as a precaution.''
Quote
''The above comments describe efficient human to human transmission of H7N2 in England. The H7N2 outbreak was confirmed yesterday, and four patients have already tested positive, including one case with human, but not poultry contact. The efficiency of H7N2 transmission to humans has been noted previously.''
''This outbreak follows an H7N3 outbreak in England last year. A small number of human cases were identified, and the sequence of the H7 has been published. The sequence contained M230I, which is adjacent to the receptor binding domain, and is found in all human subtypes (H3N2, H1N1, and influenza B). The sequence encoding M230I in H7N3 poultry in England was subsequently found in H5N1 in poultry and one patient in Egypt''
Remember M230I was linked to Tamiflu resistance in Egypt.
This is the the kind of scenario that will lead to a new variant of H5N1 that may lead to Pandemic flu.
Link this with the news below in regards to the spread of H7N2.
Sunday, 27 May 2007, 09:22 GMT 10:22 UK
''11 ill as bird flu tests continue''
The outbreak was confirmed at the Conwy smallholding on Thursday Officials investigating two possible cases of bird flu in north Wales have traced 26 people who may have been in contact with the disease. Eleven of these people have shown flu-like symptoms, but none has been seriously ill.
Officials said there was not a "significant risk" to public health.
One mild form of bird flu has been confirmed at a smallholding in Conwy, and tests should reveal if there is a second case on a Llyn Peninsula farm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6696035.stm
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