Swine flu: New Zealand investigates 56 new cases
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Note from The Web Trends Author:
Rangitoto College is where i spent 2002-2006 at high school. Exciting that it's on Twitter trends now :D
Tests have "unfortunately" confirmed at least three New Zealanders have tested positive to swine flu, Health Minister Tony Ryall announced tonight.
Melbourne tests on 10 Rangitoto College students who tested positive for influenza A came back from the World Health Organisation (WHO) laboratory tonight, confirming three positives to swine flu.
"Unfortunately tonight we can confirm New Zealanders have tested positive to swine flu," Mr Ryall said.
Tests on a fourth sample were continuing, Director of Public Health Mark Jacobs told reporters.
He said three samples all tested positive for the same strain of swine flu. A further sample was being retested.
Director of Public Health, Dr Mark Jacobs announced tonight that results from some of the Rangitoto College party who tested positive to Influenza A on Sunday, have also tested positive for Swine Flu H1N1.
Results from three of the samples were received earlier this evening from the World Health Organization regional laboratory in Melbourne and all tested positive for the same strain of Swine Flu. Testing continues on a fourth sample.
On the basis of these results, we are assuming that all of the people in the group who had tested positive for Influenza A have Swine Flu. As a result we are continuing with the current treatment which has been based on this assumption.
We were advised that the lab in Melbourne selected four of the best samples of the very delicate genetic material to analyse. They found three positive results and one is still to be confirmed.
Staff from Auckland Regional Public Health are getting in touch with those affected and informing them of the results.
This is expected to be completed by 10:00pm tonight.
All ten are understood to be recovering at home.
There is no need to change the treatment and follow-up of the Rangitoto College group.
The Tamiflu treatment will continue and they will remain in home isolation and should complete 72 hours of Tamiflu before they can return to normal activities.
The Rangitoto students returned to Auckland on Saturday from a trip to Mexico. An 11th member of the group has also tested positive for influenza A.
The test results were announced in Wellington tonight, at a press conference attended by Mr Ryall, Director-General of Health Stephen McKernan, Mr Jacobs, and National Co-ordinator Emergency Planning Steve Brazier.
Mr Ryall made a ministerial statement when Parliament sat at 2pm, and told MPs all 10 of the students were recovering.
Mr Ryall told Parliament another 56 people nationwide were being monitored and were being tested to find out whether they had influenza A.
