Swine Flu Daily Update Issued At: 11am Tuesday 5 May 2009, Wales

- 0 confirmed cases in Wales.

- 58 patients have been under investigation in Wales. Of these, swine flu has been ruled out in 50 cases, leaving 8 still under investigation. All 58 patients are travel related to Mexico and the USA. All of these are displaying, or have displayed, mild symptoms.

- Of the eight patients under investigation, four people were well when first identified, but reported recent flu-like symptoms following travel to Mexico. Blood tests are being undertaken on these individuals to see if they had the flu and to help the NPHS understand the pattern of the disease from the past. It could have been due to swine flu. Testing will be conducted in a number of weeks - scientifically it won't work before that - to check whether these people did have swine flu. Investigations have shown that the people they had close contact with did not catch flu from them when they were ill.

- 27 confirmed cases in the UK. Four cases in Scotland. 23 cases are in England. All of these are responding well to treatment.

- Confirmed cases in 20 counties: Austria, Canada, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Denmark, El Salvador, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, Israel, Switzerland, UK, USA.

Comment from Welsh Assembly Government and National Public Health Service for Wales

- Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Tony Jewell, said:

"Although there have been no confirmed cases reported in Wales to date, we fully expect that there will be confirmed cases in due course.

"There have been cases of person to person spread in England and Scotland which reinforces the fact that everyone must continue to be vigilant and try to reduce the spread of the virus.

"People should follow good respiratory and hand hygiene to help prevent the spread of influenza - always using a tissue to catch sneezes, throwing away used tissues where germs can linger and regularly washing your hands, or cleaning them with a sanitising gel.

"The Welsh Assembly Government is continuing to liaise with the National Public Health Service for Wales, Health Protection Agency, the other UK countries and international colleagues to monitor the situation closely.

"Although it is natural for people to feel apprehensive, we reassure the public that we are working to prepare for the arrival of the virus, have been for many years, and have robust procedures in place.

"Health professionals are fully aware of the correct procedures of investigating people or their close contacts who have recently returned from affected areas and have flu like symptoms. We have also reinforced the sources of advice and specialist services support to people and NHS Wales."

- Dr Roland Salmon, Director of the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, National Public Health Service for Wales, said: