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New Zealand situation
The cumulative total of confirmed cases in New Zealand is now 27, up from 23
yesterday. The cumulative total of probable cases remains at 10.
Of the confirmed cases, 10 are still in isolation at home while they are being
treated with Tamiflu. The rest of the confirmed cases and all probable cases
have been treated and have fully recovered.
Two of the new confirmed cases were reported in Waikato. One is a factory worker
whose travel history or link to someone who has traveled recently has yet to
be confirmed. The second case is a New Zealander who arrived from Melbourne
on 5 June.
Auckland cases
The two other new confirmed cases are an Auckland nurse and her child who returned
from a family holiday in the United Kingdom on Air NZ flight NZ1 on 6 June.
The nurse worked one shift at Auckland City Hospital’s Renal Medicine
and Transplant Ward (Ward 71) on 8 June and the child attended ABC Childcare
Centre in Meadowbank the same day. The contacts of both cases are currently
being contact-traced.
Dr David Sage, chief medical officer at Auckland City Hospital, said the nurse
did not have flu symptoms when she was at work on 8 June. However, her child
began to show flu-like symptoms that day and immediate medical treatment was
sought. The nurse returned home after completing her shift. The family voluntarily
isolated themselves at home while awaiting the test results for their child
at which time the nurse began exhibiting flu symptoms. Last night, both swabs
returned positive results for Influenza A (H1N1).
Dr Sage said staff at Auckland City Hospital acted swiftly to identify, isolate
and treat all those potentially affected as soon as the alert was raised. This
includes staff, patients and visitors who were on Ward 71 at Auckland City Hospital
on 8 June.
"At this time, none of these people are showing flu-like symptoms,"
he said. "I would like to commend all the staff who worked tirelessly
last night and this morning to help us contain the potential spread of this
virus," Dr Sage said.
Ward 71 remains open but is closed to new admissions and has strict infection-control
procedures in place. Five patients are being cared for in isolation and there
is a limit on visitors to patients and the number of staff working in the ward
has been reduced.
The ABC Childcare Centre has closed temporarily and will likely remain so until
16 June. The childcare centre’s staff are currently working with Auckland
Regional Public Health (ARPH) staff to identify children who were at the centre
on 8 June. ARPH's clinical director Dr Julia Peters said staff were working
closely with the childcare centre. The 29 children enrolled at the Centre and
seven staff are being offered Tamiflu and are in isolation at home. Dr Peters
expressed thanks to the staff and parents of the centre for their cooperation
to date.
Passengers off flight NZ1 will not be contact-traced as the child did not develop
symptoms until 48 hours after arriving home in New Zealand, and would not have
been infectious while on the flight.
The Ministry of Health's chief advisor on public health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield,
said as more people tested positive for influenza A (H1N1) "swine flu"
there would be more instances where workplaces, schools, and child care centres
would be affected.
"People have been highly cooperative to date. This has undoubtedly
contributed to New Zealand's relatively low number of confirmed cases.
As has been demonstrated this week, each case can have a large number
of contacts, and already, this virus is causing significant disruption to
the regular routines and lives of those affected.
Our assessment is that our actions to "keep it out" and "stamp
it out" are still appropriate and worthwhile. There are real benefits
to delaying widespread community transmission of the virus for as long as
possible," Dr Bloomfield said.
In summary:
* Five patients in Ward 71 are being treated in isolation. Access to the ward
is restricted.
* Two former patients who had been cared for by the nurse during the 12-hour
shift on 8 June have been visited by medical staff and care plans are in place.
* 19 ADHB staff who were in close contact with the nurse are also at home in
quarantine and taking Tamiflu.
* Importantly, none of the close contacts have flu symptoms at present.
* 29 children and seven staff from the ABC Childcare Centre are being given
Tamiflu and isolated at home.
Gisborne Boys High School
All the swab results for the Gisborne Boys High School students are negative
for Influenza A (H1N1). Medical Officer of Health Dr Geoff Cramp said the 16
students, two teachers and one parent who were previously classified as suspected
cases are now free to return to work or school if they are well.
The group of 19 had been asked to remain in isolation at home as a precautionary
measure. The students were part of a group who returned on 7 June from a class
trip to Brisbane.
Dr Cramp said the other students, the community and those who have had contact
with the students can be reassured that there is no risk of catching the Influenza
A (H1N1) virus.
How to protect yourself and others
Anyone who has recently travelled overseas and is ill with influenza symptoms
is advised to phone their GP or Healthline (0800 611 116) for medical advice.
Do not turn up at a hospital or medical centre before doing this as you can
spread germs to other people.
Signs and symptoms of influenza include fever, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose,
body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people also experience diarrhea
and vomiting.
Hand hygiene is still the single most effective measure in protecting yourself.
Wash your hands with soap and water and dry them thoroughly.
Alcohol-based cleaners are also effective. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or
mouth as germs spread this way.
Practise good cough and sneeze etiquette. This means covering your nose and
mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and disposing of the tissue in
a lined rubbish bin with a lid or plastic bag.
Sick people should stay home until they are well, rather than going to school
or work. Try to avoid contact with sick people and reduce time spent in crowded
settings. If you become sick, stay home for seven days after your symptoms begin
or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. This
is to keep you from infecting others.
International Update from the World Health Organization
As of 06:00 GMT, 10 June 2009, 74 countries have officially reported 27,737
cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection, including 141 deaths. WHO remains in
pandemic influenza Phase 5 but continues to monitor the situation closely in
all countries reporting cases of new influenza A (H1N1).
As at 5am today, Australia reported 1263 cases of Influenza A (H1N1) infection.
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about current health issues, but not to endorse any particular view or activity.
Any views expressed iin the article above are not necessarily those of IvyRose
Ltd.. Material in this news item was released by the New Zealand based source
listed below on 11 June 2009
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