15 deaths linked to swine flu

Swine flu deaths are climbing in New Zealand, with 15 linked to the pandemic influenza H1N1 so far this year.

The Ministry of Health said today 11 of the deaths had been confirmed as being due to swine flu.

Five deaths reported since Monday were all in the Auckland and Waitemata district health board regions.

Auckland District Health Board said today three more patients with confirmed H1N1 had died at Auckland City Hospital, bringing the total number of H1N1-related patient deaths there this year to four.

An 86-year-old man died on August 18, primarily from other causes, but H1N1 was likely to be a contributing factor. A 15-year-old youth who died on August 21 had no known underlying medical conditions. A 77-year-old man who had other underlying medical conditions died on August 23.

It was earlier reported a 29-year-old man, also with other underlying medical conditions, died on August 16.

Waitemata DHB today confirmed the death on Tuesday of two men from the H1N1 virus. Both patients had other underlying medical conditions and were aged 22 and 57. They died in the intensive care unit at North Shore Hospital.

Director of public health Mark Jacobs said that influenza H1N1 activity was continuing, with variable rates of infection according to geographic region.

Hawke's Bay had been experiencing the highest rates of influenza-like illness, with many people visiting their GP.

Recent information suggested that some regions may be starting to see a decline in influenza activity, especially in the North Island where most activity had been occurring, although it was too early to tell whether this was definitely the start of a downward trend.

As at midday today, there had been 583 hospitalisations of lab-confirmed pandemic influenza H1N1 this year, including 13 people currently in intensive care with confirmed H1N1.

- NZPA