Positive E.coli results at school

Some pupils from the only school closed in the south Wales E.coli outbreak have tested positive for the infection.

Health officials say "a few" children at Glenboi primary in the Cynon Valley were found to have the bug after parents were given home testing kits.

But experts said these children were not exhibiting symptoms and therefore did not present a risk to anyone else.

The school was shut on Thursday, and 50 of the 97 pupils returned on Wednesday.

Dr Brendan Mason of the outbreak control team said it was expected that some tests would be positive, but not all those with the bug would develop symptoms.

The school was shut after evidence of E.coli infection in one pupil was found in the boys' toilets, and Dr Mason said it was a very unusual situation because they did not know the identity of the child.

"We're testing everyone in the school and if we get any positive results, we'll be looking very carefully to make sure these children have not got any symptoms.

"And if they have got symptoms then, obviously, we wouldn't let them back into school."

Dr Mason said: "It's quite natural for people to be worried but this is not unsurprising.

"We know that we always find people who've been exposed who just don't develop any symptoms, just don't become unwell and then they just spontaneously stop carrying the organism."

Latest figures show 156 cases of E.coli across 42 schools. Of the 38 admitted to hospital, five children are still undergoing treatment.

Health Minister Brian Gibbons told the Welsh assembly on Wednesday: "While cases continue to pop up and be investigated, let me remind you that the last schools-related case through contact with implicated food occurred on 27 September, which is now over two weeks ago.

"To date, there have been no secondary cases as a result of cross-infection in the schools."

Dr Gibbons also spoke about the staff member at the Ty Clyd old people's home in Bargoed who has tested positive for E.coli.

He said the fact that the employee had developed symptoms 11 days before it emerged was consistent with the way the outbreak had developed. It suggested the exposure was before control measures were in place.

Dr Gibbons referred to complaints about NHS treatment by the parents of five-year-old Mason Jones, of Deri, near Bargoed, the only person to have died during the outbreak.

He told AMs: "This is under investigation and I will therefore not comment further at this stage."

Dr Gibbons said Wales' chief medical officer had begun his review, of the public health arrangements before and after the outbreak.