N Zealand confirms swine flu cases

New Zealand begins swine flu tests

ESR scientists have begun testing swine flu samples in New Zealand as suspected cases rise and officials remind Kiwis they can only buy Tamiflu over the counter if they are unwell.

Specialist scientists have been co-opted to assist with the testing process at ESR's National Influenza Centre, a statement said today. "Now the swine flu has been confirmed in New Zealand and the molecular structure of the virus has been identified, ESR's WHO National Influenza Centre can perform the testing."

Meanwhile, at a press conference this morning health officials said while Tamiflu could be purchased over the counter from tomorrow, patients needed to be exhibiting symptoms before they would be sold the anti-viral medication.

"[Buyers] need to be in the early stages of influenza," Deputy Director of Public Health Dr Fran McGrath said.

"If they're not in the early stages then they need to see their doctor for a prescription."

More test results are expected today from patients suspected of having swine flu. The tests will confirm whether they have Influenza A and once this is established more complicated tests will be carried out for swine flu. All suspected patients are however being treated as if they have swine flu and are being isolated for 72 hours and given a course of Tamiflu.

The World Health Organisation this morning raised the pandemic threat level from swine flu to phase 5.

In New Zealand, the number of suspected cases of swine flu has grown to 104.

Included in the isolation tally is Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn. He is under quarantine at home today - one day before a scheduled meeting with Prime Minister John Key.

Mr Kokshoorn and his family flew home from a holiday in Hawaii and North America a day before the "swine flu flight" that carried the flu strain to New Zealand.

A family member was now taking Tamiflu as a precaution and being tested for influenza A after becoming sick five days later, Mr Kokshoorn said today. "[But] I want to stress - I haven't got the flu. I've never been better."

NEW ZEALAND'S RESPONSE

Health officials moved today to establish a "community-based assessment centre", most likely at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital.

Officials said this morning there were still 13 probable cases of swine flu, with three confirmed by the WHO's Melbourne testing centre. But the number of suspected cases had increased to 104.

"The growth in suspect numbers is primarily from close family contacts from passengers on flights," Health Minister Tony Ryall told a press conference today.

Numbers in isolation have also likely increased, with health officials now dealing with 101 cases. "[But] you can assume that many of them will have two, or three or more family members," Mr Ryall said.

There are 72 isolation cases in Auckland, 16 in Wellington, eight in Nelson, seven in Wanganui. Several other regions also have one or two cases.

Director General of Public Health Stephen McKernan said a community assessment facility would likely be established at Middlemore, so clinical assessments for swine flu could be conducted away from the airport.

Treatment could also be given and patients could be put in isolation in the unit.

It is possible other similar centres will be established in other parts of the country if the flu spreads, he said.

Mr Ryall said New Zealand had moved to a phase 5.1 in its plan but "this is not an escalation in New Zealand's epidemic planning."

Officials were still working to "contain and mitigate" swine flu, he said.

Mr Ryall said 32 countries had now notified WHO of suspected or confirmed cases of swine flu.

"As you know we are working hard to identify people potentially with swine flu so we can provide them with treatment and support and limit the spread of the flu."

The Health Ministry said at least 10,000 people arrived here from North America each week and all were subject to screening.

Eleven people on a flight that stopped off in Auckland yesterday en route to Australia were taken to hospital, suspected of having the virus. Five of those were in transit.

Mr Ryall, said the Government had made an order-in-council making non-seasonal influenza a notifiable disease.

The Canterbury District Health Board has also set itself up at Christchurch International Airport to help passengers from overseas that are unwell.

PANDEMIC ALERT

Earlier today, the World Health Organisation has raised the pandemic threat level from swine flu to phase 5 as the virus spread and killed the first person outside Mexico, a toddler in Texas.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan made the decision to raise the alert level from phase 4 - signifying transmission in only one country - after reviewing the latest scientific evidence on the outbreak.

"I have decided to raise the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 4 to phase 5," Chan told a news briefing.

Phase 5 is the WHO's second highest level of warning that a pandemic, or global outbreak of a serious new illness, is imminent. Phase 6 means a pandemic has begun.

Chan said she hoped to reassure governments but urged them to prepare for the worst.

"The world is better prepared for an influenza pandemic than at any time in history," Chan said. "For the first time in history we can track the pandemic in real time."

The H1N1 swine flu virus has spread around the world, killing an estimated 159 people in Mexico, claiming the life of a Mexican toddler in the United States, and infecting people in at least eight other countries.

It is a never-before-seen mix of swine, avian and human viruses and it is not clear how deadly it is or how easily it transmits from one person to another.

"No matter what the situation is, the international community should treat this as a window of opportunity to ramp up ... response," Chan said.

"It is really all of humanity that is under threat during a pandemic."

Pharmaceutical companies should ramp up manufacturing she said. Two antiviral drugs- Relenza, made by GlaxoSmithKline and Tamiflu, made by Roche AG- have been shown to work against the H1N1 swine flu strain.

Nearly a week after the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, first emerged in California and Texas and was found to have caused deaths in Mexico, Spain reported the first case in Europe of swine flu in a person who had not been to Mexico, illustrating the danger of person-to-person transmission.

Germany and Austria reported cases, bringing the number of affected countries to 9. US officials said a 22-month-old boy had died in Texas – the first confirmed US swine flu death – while on a family visit from Mexico.

- ANNA CHALMERS, Reuters, AP and NZPA
As of 1.15pm from Google News.

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