Drug-resistant swine flu in Welsh hospital
Health experts have announced that five patients in a Welsh hospital are believed to be the first to transmit a new, drug-resistant strain of swine flu to one another. The five patients were all on a ward for people with severe underlying health conditions in the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff when they started to show the symptoms of swine flu. One of the patients is now in intensive care whilst two others have already been discharged.
Experts say that the new drug-resistant strain of the disease is no more severe than the swine flu currently doing the rounds. The emergence of strains of swine flu resistant to Tamiflu is to be expected says Dr. Roland Salmon who was speaking from the National Public Health Service Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre. He said that they were also most likely to occur in patients who are already suffering from serious underlying conditions. He was quick to point out that for the majority of patients Tamiflu was still the best option for decreasing the severity of the disease.
Staff and patients at the University Hospital of Wales have been offered Tamiflu jabs and those due to go onto the ward where the outbreak of the new strain occurred are being strongly advised to get an injection. Experts are also advising anyone who is in close contact with any of the patients to be vigilant. If they start to experience flu like symptoms that should seek professional medical help as soon as possible.
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