Swine flu in NZ 'likely' - 紐西蘭

http://ppt.cc/A4Mz

Ten Rangitoto College pupils have tonight tested positive for influenza with
health officials saying they consider it "likely" they 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 three 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
Rangitoto College were on the "road to recovery", but other pupils had since
come down with flu-like symptoms. Twenty-two pupils and three teachers were
on the trip with 14 showing flu-like symptoms.

The affected pupils were being kept in isolation at home along with their
family members.

One pupil was taken to hospital on Saturday, but was not in a serious
condition.

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 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 to "code yellow".

"I think it is important to recognise the concern that we have and [that] the
deaths that have been reported from Mexico.

"At the same time the cases that have been reported from the United States
seem to be relatively mild and there haven't been any deaths reported from
the US," Dr Hunt said.

While it was a new flu strain, patients that had been treated with Tamiflu
had responded, he said.

At this stage health officials had no plans to order more Tamiflu as
pharmacies still had "quite a bit in stock," Health Ministry pandemic
planning co-ordinator Steve Brazier said.

Officials stressed however, that anyone with flu symptoms should visit their
doctor and not treat themselves.

Doctors and nurses would also be stationed at Auckland International Airport
from early tomorrow to screen for possible symptoms from travellers 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 and carried the affected Rangitoto
College pupils for testing.

They could not say whether it was likely that other passengers onboard the
Air NZ flight could have contracted the virus, but it was of concern.

"These people on the plane… may have been infected," Dr Hunt said.

Anyone who had gone to Mexico or North America should urgently contact their
doctors if they felt unwell, he said.

Air New Zealand said tonight that 364 passengers were onboard the NZ1 flight.

The airline said it was is in close contact with the Auckland district health
board and the Health Ministry and reiterated advice that passengers onboard
should consult with their GP or other health professionals if they developed
flu-like symptoms.

"Air New Zealand is supplying that same information to its crew through its
medical team," it said in a statement.

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 the World Health Organisation 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.

- with NZPA



連紐西蘭都有危險...

就住Rangitoto College附近的說= ="

這下連去超市都怕怕了orz

大學老師剛剛還寄信來說要我們有疑似感冒症狀就別去上課 趕快去看醫生

嘖嘖... 希望不會真的爆發swine flu啊...

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