Swine flu cases rise to six

Two more school pupils have tested positive for swine flu bringing the New Zealand total to six but health authorities say containment measures are working.

According to figures released by the Health Ministry this morning, there are now 14 probable cases of swine flu in New Zealand - up three from yesterday.

Deputy-director of public health Fran McGrath said the latest confirmed case was an Auckland pupil who had been on Flight NZ1 from Los Angeles on April 25, the same flight as the Rangitoto College pupils who were the first in New Zealand to test positive for the virus.

He had been treated with Tamiflu and was already out of isolation.

The other case confirmed yesterday was a Hawke's Bay pupil, who returned from a Lindisfarne College and Hastings Girls' High School trip to North America last week.

Lindisfarne's director of performance music, John Snowling, who organised the tour, said that according to the boy's parents, he was in "pretty good shape" and "getting bored being home".

Another Lindisfarne pupil was still considered a "probable" case.

Most of the boys in the tour party who had been isolated were due to return to school today because they had completed Tamiflu treatment and had no symptoms, Mr Snowling said.

Dr McGrath said there was no way of knowing whether the outbreak had peaked.

"We are taking a cautious approach in line with WHO's advice because this virus originated in pigs and so is very unstable and likely to mutate ... But the good news is the virus is so far contained in New Zealand to travellers and their close contacts."

The two new diagnoses are the first positive swine flu tests by the National Centre for Biosecurity and Infectious Diseases in Upper Hutt.

Previously, samples had to be sent to Melbourne for testing.

Eighteen countries, including New Zealand, had officially reported 900 laboratory-confirmed cases of swine flu by yesterday.

New Zealand now has six confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1), 14 probable cases and 69 suspected cases. There are 335 people in isolation being treated with Tamiflu.

- © Fairfax NZ News