Swine Flu in New Zealand? - Don't Panic

Yes, NZ has a possible 10+ suspected cases of the new A strain influenza ‘A/H1N1’ or ‘Swine Flu’ as it is becoming commonly referred to in the press.

An unfortunate school group from Auckland picked up A strain influenza while on a school organised trip to Mexico,
transporting it back on an Air NZ flight between LAX and AKL on Saturday 25th April.

Don’t panic though.

A few things to remember when contemplating your trip to NZ:

• The students currently only have a confirmed an A strain influenza virus.  Their test results will be sent to the WHO laboratory in Melbourne for confirmation of ‘Swine Flu’.  On that note, our Minister of Health Tony Ryall has said “All precautions are being taken to allow for this (confirmation). However, I am also informed none of the affected patients are considered seriously ill and most, in fact, seem to be on the road to recovery.”

• NZ’s Prime Minister John Key told TV One’s Breakfast Show this morning that the government has invoked our Flu plan which was put in place quite a number of years ago when we were concerned about avian bird flu.

• Furthermore supplies of Tamiflu, which aid in combating the A strain influenza have been made available to medical facilities throughout Auckland.

• As of today it is expected that medically trained staff will be stationed at AKL international airport to commence a screening process of inbound passengers arriving from the Americas.

A few things to consider:

Don’t be silly! NZ is moving into winter so any form of influenza will be expounded here.  If you are currently sick or experiencing flu like symptoms, and you have been in an infected area, or been in contact with anyone who has recently returned from an infected area, please consult your doctor or seek medical advice before travelling.

Here are a few web sites which will keep you updated on Swine flu:

World Health Organisation: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.htmlhttp://www.fluinfo.org.nz/psite/page.aspx

Pandemic Planning in NZ: http://www.fluinfo.org.nz/psite/

Google Swine Flu mapping:  http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=p&msa=0&msid=106484775090296685271.0004681a37b713f6b5950&ll=32.639375,-110.390625&spn=15.738151,25.488281&z=5);