TWO 21-year-old women from Wrexham have been diagnosed with swine flu as seven new cases of the virus are reported across Wales.

The women, both contacts of confirmed cases in Scotland, are “clinically presumed” to have the virus. They have been given antiviral drugs and are reported to be recovering well.

Health minister Edwina Hart warned yesterday of increasing pressure within the NHS in Wales as the spread of swine flu accelerates.

There are now 30 confirmed cases in Wales, plus eight where the illness is “clinically presumed”.

Mrs Hart told AMs that while there is still no evidence of sustained community transmission in Wales, this is likely to change as it has already occurred in Glasgow, Birmingham and London.

Across the UK, there are now nearly 7,000 confirmed cases and nearly 1,000 clinically presumed cases, more than double the number of cases last week.

A total of 105 cases in the UK have been hospitalised since the start of the global pandemic with 70,000 cases across the world.

“In most cases in the UK the virus causes a generally mild illness,” Mrs Hart said.

“A small minority of cases however have been more serious in much the same way as we can see with seasonal flu, leading to a severe illness.”

A second adult with underlying health conditions in Scotland has died and a six-year old child, also with underlying health conditions, has died in Birmingham.

The forthcoming winter flu vaccination campaign would require sustained input from NHS staff in the community, Mrs Hart said.

“Staff absences through sickness may also potentially be very significant.

“The NHS is working to minimise the effect of the outbreak on services, but it is inevitable that there will be some disruption, and impact on planned activity, as the virus continues to spread.”

Up until last week, the National Public Health Service had been testing everyone who has potentially come into contact with swine flu and who has symptoms.

“We are moving to the position where swine flu is circulating so freely in the community that we will test very few people as patients’ doctors will assume that anyone with flu-like symptoms has contracted swine flu,” a statement said.

An eight-year-old boy from Denbighshire became the first confirmed case of swine flu in North Wales at the weekend, with a 29-year-old man, 62-year-old woman and 67-year-old man in the county being clinically presumed cases.