Avian Influenza A/(H7N2) Reported in the United Kingdom

On 25 May 2007, the United Kingdom Health Protection Agency (HPA) announced that influenza A/H7N2 virus infection had been laboratory confirmed in four individuals exposed to infected poultry in Corwen Farm, Conwy, Wales.

The poultry outbreak in Wales started on a smallholding, Corwen Farm, Conwy, on 8 May 2007, was laboratory confirmed on 24 May 2007, and notified to the World Organisation for Animal Health on 25 May 2007.

It appears that all cases involved were characterized by mild flu-like symptoms with testing otherwise negative for other etiologies. Of note, H7 strains (such as this H7N2 strain) are generally a milder strain of influenza in humans compared to the H5N1 strains of influenza that are predominantly circulating in Southeast Asia and typified by highly lethal "avian influenza".