Swine flu feared to have spread to New Zealand
See all:A group of 25 staff and students from Rangitoto College on Auckland’s North Shore are being tested for the deadly swine flu after returning from a school trip to Mexico.Eighteen people in the group of 25 five staff and students have reported influenza-like illness and Auckland health officials are checking whether it is the swine influenza strain.”Since we became aware of the situation we have been applying all our resources to investigate it and manage it,” says Dr Julia Peters, Clinical Director of the Auckland Regional Public Health Service.Nurses have been speaking with people who have been in direct contact with the group to assess their health.
“There’s one young student who was admitted to hospital last night but the clinicians are reasonably confident that is not influenza,” Dr Peters says. “But all the others are being managed at home.”The Ministry of Health says it has put in place the initial stages of a pandemic response plan and there is heightened awareness around flights from[…]