Published Date: 2009-04-26 17:00:08
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Influenza A (H1N1) virus, human - New Zealand, susp
Archive Number: 20090426.1574

INFLUENZA A (H1N1) VIRUS, HUMAN - NEW ZEALAND, SUSPECTED
********************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

[1]
Date: Sun 26 Apr 2009
Source: Stuff.co.nz [edited]
<http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/2364487/Ten-influenza-results-confirmed-in-New-Zealand-teens>


Ten students have tonight tested positive for influenza, with health
officials saying they consider it "likely" the pupils have swine flu. Swine
flu is believed to have killed more than 80 people in Mexico, and over 1300
are sick as a result of catching the virus, which has also hit parts of the
United States.

Health officials said tonight there were also 3 other high schools at risk,
with pupils from Northcote College having recently returned from Mexico,
while Pinehurst and Westlake Girls High also had pupils in the United
States and South America. Health minister Tony Ryall said most of the
flu-affected pupils from Northcote College were on the "road to recovery",
but other pupils had since come down with flu-like symptoms. The affected
pupils were being kept in isolation at home along with their family
members. One pupil had been hospitalised, but their condition was not
serious, officials said.

Dr Darren Hunt, deputy director of public health, said it could take days
till they knew whether the influenza was H1N1 swine flu, a subset of
influenza A. Melbourne health authorities were tonight [26 Apr 2009] being
contacted and would carry out the tests. Until results were known, health
officials are treating the situation as if the victims had swine flu and
have upgraded the country's health alert status from "code white" to "code
yellow."

Doctors and nurses would also be stationed at Auckland International
Airport from early tomorrow [27 Apr 2009] to screen for possible symptoms
from travelers landing from North and Central America. Officials would also
seek fellow passengers onboard Air New Zealand's NZ1 Los Angeles flight
that landed early yesterday [25 Apr 2009] and carried the affected
Northcote College pupils. Mr Ryall encouraged passengers on the flight to
consult with their GP or other health professional if they develop flu-like
symptoms. Middlemore Hospital had released Tamiflu to the Auckland Regional
Public Health Service to treat the patients and people who had been in
contact with them.

The Ministry was in contact with WHO and was liaising with Australia in
terms of their response. The Ministry was also working closely with
Auckland Regional Public Health, district health boards and other
government agencies including MAF, Customs, and the Ministry of Education.
It would keep New Zealanders informed of developments, Mr Ryall said.

[byline: Anna Chalmers]

--
communicated by:
Dr Patricia Priest
Senior Lecturer, Epidemiology
Department of Preventive and Social Medicine
University of Otago
PO Box 913
Dunedin, New Zealand
<patricia.priest@otago.ac.nz>

******
[2]
Date: Sun 26 Apr 2009
Source: 3News, Breaking News [edited]
<http://www.3news.co.nz/News/Swine-flu-feared-to-have-spread-to-NZ/tabid/209/articleID/101257/cat/87/Default.aspx>


A group of 25 staff and students from Rangitoto College on Auckland's North
Shore are being tested for the deadly swine flu after returning from a
school trip to Mexico. 18 people in the group of 25 staff and students have
reported influenza-like illnesses, and Auckland health officials are
checking whether it is the swine influenza strain.

"Since we became aware of the situation, we have been applying all our
resources to investigate it and manage it," says Dr Julia Peters, clinical
director of the Auckland Regional Public Health Service. Nurses have been
speaking with people who have been in direct contact with the group to
assess their health. "There's one young student who was admitted to
hospital last night [25 Apr 2009], but the clinicians are reasonably
confident that is not influenza," Dr Peters says. "But all the others are
being managed at home."

The Ministry of Health says it has put in place the initial stages of a
pandemic response plan, and there is heightened awareness around flights
from the western United States for people with influenza-like illness and
severe pneumonia. "In terms of the wider community, our advice is that
people who are returning from Mexico who do have any symptoms that could be
consistent with influenza need to contact their GP or their practice nurse
and get further advice from them," Dr Peters says.

It is believed more than 80 people have already died from the flu in
Mexico, and WHO has called an emergency meeting to warn the world of the
potential for a global pandemic. There are now 11 confirmed cases in the
US, and 10 other cases are being investigated. The virus has reached
California, Texas, Kansas, and New York and has stretched as far as London,
where a member of a British Airways cabin crew has been taken to hospital
suffering from flu-like symptoms [now discounted - Mod.CP]. In Japan,
thermo-imaging equipment has been set up at airports to pick up passengers
with unusually high temperatures, while France has a crisis centre in
operation to monitor the situation.

The swine influenza is thought to have originated in pigs, which are
susceptible to human flu, avian flu and their own swine flu [There is no
evidence that this novel strain of influenza A (H1N1) virus originated in
swine. This unique virus contains some genome elements characteristic of
swine influenza virus, but the origin of the virus is unknown at present. -
Mod.CP].

Symptoms of influenza include a fever, body aches, cough, nasal congestion,
and sometimes diarrhea and vomiting. The Ministry of Health says it will
update the public as soon as the tests from the Rangitoto College group are
available.

--
communicated by:
Steven McAuley
Medical student
University of Otago
Dunedin, New Zealand
<sbmcauley@gmail.com>

[These 2 groups of students who recently returned from visits to Mexico
have tested positive for influenza A virus infection, but it remains to be
established that they have contracted the influenza A (H1N1) virus strain
responsible for the outbreak of serious respiratory illness in Mexico. The
disease process appears to be mild, resembling that observed in the few
cases that have occurred in the United States.

If confirmed, these will be the 1st cases of this virus infection occurring
outside North America. It is likely that there will be similar alerts from
elsewhere in the coming days. - Mod.CP]

See Also

Influenza A (H1N1) virus, human - N America (04) 20090426.1569
Influenza A (H1N1) virus, human - N America (03) 20090426.1566
Influenza A (H1N1) virus, human - N America (02) 20090425.1557
Influenza A (H1N1) virus, human - N America 20090425.1552
Acute respiratory disease - Mexico, swine virus susp 20090424.1546
Influenza A (H1N1) virus, swine, human - USA (02): (CA, TX) 20090424.1541
Influenza A (H1N1) virus, swine, human - USA: (CA) 20090422.1516
Influenza A (H1N1) virus, swine, human - Spain 20090220.0715
2008
---
Influenza A (H1N1) virus, swine, human - USA (TX) 20081125.3715
2007
---
Influenza A (H2N3) virus, swine - USA 20071219.4079
Influenza, swine, human - USA (IA): November 2006 20070108.0077

................cp/msp/sh


*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Become a ProMED-mail Premium Subscriber at
<http://www.isid.org/ProMEDMail_Premium.shtml>
************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at <http://www.promedmail.org>.
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org

(NOT to an individual moderator). If you do not give your
full name and affiliation, it may not be posted. Send
commands to subscribe/unsubscribe, get archives, help,
etc. to: majordomo@promedmail.org. For assistance from a
human being send mail to: owner-promed@promedmail.org.

############################################################
############################################################