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“Swine Flu” In New Zealand According To WHO

Health
April 28, 2009

By Clare Swinney

It was reported by TV3 that the World Health Organization’s (WHO) lab in Melbourne has now confirmed that swine flu is present in New Zealand.

Three test results back from the WHO lab for the Rangitoto College students who tested positive for influenza A, have also tested positive for the swine flu, making New Zealand the sixth country to officially confirm that it has cases of people infected with the virus.

The WHO’s test results were announced in Wellington at a press conference attended by the Minister of Health, Tony Ryall, Director-General of Health, Stephen McKernan, Director of Public Health, Mark Jacobs and National Co-ordinator of Emergency Planning, Steve Brazier.
Mr Ryall announced that the lab’s results had shown that at least three New Zealanders had tested positive to “swine flu” and Mr Jacobs advised that tests on a fourth sample were still being conducted.
The Rangitoto College students had returned to Auckland, New Zealand at 5am on Saturday on Air NZ flight NZ 1 from a trip to Mexico, where the virus is reported to have killed  152, although this figure could be far higher.
Several of the students had symptoms of influenza, so their teacher insisted that they see doctors, one of whom contacted Auckland Regional Public Health Services.
The Rangitoto College students’ symptoms were reported as being mild and all are on the road to recovery.  The nature of their symptoms was consistent with the pattern experienced so far in other countries other than Mexico according to Mr Ryall.

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization announced on Monday that it was dispatching a team to inspect pig farms in Mexico in an attempt to determine whether the new strain was circulating amongst pigs and then trace a link to humans.

While the virus is designated “swine flu,” it is more precisely labelled swine-avian-human flu as it combines pig, bird and human viruses, leading to speculation that it is not a product of nature, but of a laboratory.

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nwo_endgameArtwork by Brocke Lever

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