Swine flu: 3 more infections in NZ

April 29, 2009

Swine flu outbreak

3 more infections in NZ

		Tammie Wolff (right) waits for medical staff after she showed signs of the flu upon her arrival in New Zealand April 29, 2009. Health officials screened flights that returned from overseas Wednesday morning after it was confirmed that some New Zealanders returning from Mexico had tested positive for swine flu. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

WELLINGTON (New Zealand) - NEW Zealand confirmed swine flu infections in 14 people on Wednesday, including a school group recently returned from Mexico, extending the deadly new disease's global reach into the Asia-South Pacific region.

No cases confirmed in Asia yet NO cases of the disease have yet been confirmed in Asia, but governments there rushed to try to hold back the virus from the continent. South Korea said it had a 'probable case' of swine flu in a the 51-year-old woman who returned from Mexico via Los Angeles on Sunday. Final tests were still necessary to confirm the infection, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. ... more

On Tuesday night Health Minister Tony Ryall said tests conducted at a World Health Organisation laboratory in Australia had confirmed three cases of swine flu among 11 members of the group who were showing symptoms, and officials had decided that was evidence enough to assume all of them were infected.

Early Wednesday he confirmed three more suspected cases - two among the school student group and one involving another traveller from North America.

'We should assume it is swine flu among the 14 cases identified,' Auckland Regional Public Health Authority clinical director Dr Julia Peters told reporters.

Mr Ryall said there were 44 more suspected cases in the country, with further testing under way. All had recently traveled outside New Zealand.

Those infected were 12 students and one teacher from a single school - Auckland city's Rangitoto College - who reported having fevers and other flu-like symptoms on their return Saturday from a visit to Mexico. The other sufferer had flown in from North America.

Ten students and a teacher initially had all tested positive for flu in New Zealand, and samples were then sent to the WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Influenza in Melbourne, Australia, to be tested for swine flu.

Some tests were inconclusive but three came back positive, Mr Ryall told a news conference in Wellington.

Health Ministry spokesman Peter Abernethy said the strain of swine flu confirmed in the students was the same as the virus that is suspected to have caused more than 150 deaths in Mexico.

All 14 are being treated with the antiviral drug Tamiflu and have been in voluntary quarantine at home.

'Their symptoms were mild and all are recovering, the pattern seen in countries outside of Mexico,' Mr Ryall said.

Dr Peters noted that after completing treatment with Tamiflu the students and their families 'are not infectious. Most will be back at school tomorrow (Thursday).' -- AP

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