Media Release

1:00pm, Tuesday 30 June 2009

Influenza A (H1N1) Swine Flu - Update ninety-one

The number of confirmed cases of novel Influenza A (H1N1) 09 infection in New Zealand continues to rise as we had expected. As at 12pm today, the cumulative total of confirmed cases is 653, up 64 from 589 yesterday.

The virus is expected to cause many more infections than are seen with seasonal or winter flu because most people have no or little immunity to it, and infections can be expected to continue for months yet. So far, most of the people contracting the virus are experiencing relatively mild to moderate symptoms.

Whilst most people recover within a week without requiring hospitalisation or medical attention, the novel Influenza A (H1N1) 09 virus can cause severe illness or death in people at high risk of developing complications. People who appear to be at higher risk of more severe illness include pregnant women and people with significant health conditions such as chronic heart disease, chronic respiratory conditions (including severe asthma), diabetes or reduced immunity.

People should not hesitate to seek medical advice if they are in a higher risk group or if they become seriously ill. Phone Healthline (0800 611 116) or your healthcare provider for health advice.

Every year, about 400 people in New Zealand die due to complications from seasonal influenza. The number of deaths due to influenza could be higher if we have more cases of both seasonal and non-seasonal (novel Influenza A H1N1 09) influenza.

General information on the signs and symptoms of influenza, and advice on how to care for yourself and others at home are available on the following links. This includes specific information for those caring for babies and young children:

http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/influenza-a-h1n1-care-advice
http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/influenza-a-h1n1-care-protect
http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/influenza-a-h1n1-care-you
http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/influenza-a-h1n1-care-others
http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/influenza-a-h1n1-care-others#children

Latest numbers

The cumulative total of confirmed cases in New Zealand is 653, up 64 from 589 yesterday. The number of probable cases is 52, up from 51 yesterday. The number of current active cases reported in the past seven days is 291, up from 288 yesterday.

The cumulative total of confirmed cases by region are:
Northland (12); Auckland (176); Waikato (21); Bay of Plenty/Lakes (22 ); Gisborne (1); Hawkes Bay (10); Taranaki (1); Wanganui/Palmerston North (7 ); Wellington (209); Nelson/Marlborough (8); Canterbury (183 ) and Otago/Southland (3).

National Non-Seasonal Novel Influenza A (H1N1) 09 case and contact numbers for New Zealand

As at 1200hrs 30 June 2009	Confirmed	Probable	Number of confirmed H1N1 cases reported in past 7 days*
Northland	12	5	11
Auckland	176	11	80
Waikato	21	3	9
Bay of Plenty/Lakes	22	19	9
Tairawhiti DHB	1	0	0
Hawkes Bay	10	3	8
Taranaki	1	0	0
Wanganui/Palmerston North	7	1	6
Wellington	209	1	76
Nelson Marlborough	8	3	7
Canterbury	183	6	82
Otago/Southland	3	0	3
Total	653	52	291

Notes:

Confirmed cases refer only to those that have been laboratory confirmed and are therefore an underestimate of the total number of cases.
Data are sourced from EpiSurv.
*Number includes all cases confirmed for ≤ 7 days from report date

International Update from the World Health Organization

The World Health Organization declared a global pandemic of the novel Influenza A (H1N1) 09 virus on 11 June 2009. At this time, WHO considers the overall severity of the influenza pandemic to be moderate. The assessment reflects the fact that most people recover from infection without the need for hospitalisation or medical care.

As at 9:00 GMT on 29 June, 109 countries reported 70,893 cases of influenza A (H1N1) 09 infection, including 311 deaths.

The breakdown of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases by country is given in the following table (http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_06_29/en/index.html)

As at 5pm AEST on 29 June, Australia has reported 4038 confirmed cases of the novel Influenza A (H1N1) 09 influenza, including 1599 cases in Victoria. Seven people in Australia have died after contracting the novel Influenza A (H1N1) virus.

Regular updates on the Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic are available on the WHO website (http://www.who.int).

How to protect yourself and others

Signs and symptoms of influenza include fever, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue. Some people also experience diarrhoea and vomiting.
Try to avoid contact with sick people and reduce time spent in crowded settings.
If you have flu-like symptoms, stay home until you are essentially well (that is, not sneezing or coughing as that is how the virus spreads). This is usually around 3-4 days but may be up to a week.
You should seek medical advice if necessary (by phone first), for example if you have a serious underlying health condition or your condition worsens. This is particularly important for people with underlying medical conditions who are at greater risk of developing complications from influenza. If you need medical advice, please phone Healthline 0800 611 116 in the first instance or your GP. Do not turn up at a hospital or medical centre before doing this as you can spread germs to other people.
If you are caring for someone with flu, watch for signs that they may need further medical attention including shortness of breath, chest pain, blueness around the lips, inability to keep fluids down, becoming less alert or lightheadedness. More information can be found on the websites of the Department of Human Services of the State Government of Victoria in Australia (http://humanswineflu.health.vic.gov.au/public/what_to_expect.htm) and the Centers for Disease Control in the US (http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm).

Be prepared – at home and in the workplace

Be prepared. This is the time for people to make sure they’re prepared to be self-sufficient for a week, should they need to. This means you should have enough water and basic medical supplies including paracetamol or ibuprofen as well as regular medications, nappies for babies, cleaning products, tissues and bathroom supplies for at least a week.
Hand hygiene is still the single most effective measure in protecting yourself and others. 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
Checklists and advice on how individuals and families can prepare for a pandemic are available on the Ministry of Health's website: http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/pandemicinfluenza-resources

Unless otherwise specified, this information can be attributed to Dr Fran McGrath, Deputy Director of Public Health.

ENDS

For health information and advice, the public should call Healthline 0800 611 116.
For latest updates on Influenza A (H1N1) Swine Flu, visit www.moh.govt.nz

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For media queries related to this update, please call the National Health Coordination Centre, Communications Desk at +64 (04) 816 3660 or +64 (021) 243 6805