Influenza A (H1N1) Swine Flu - Update 100 | infonews.co.nz New Zealand News

New Zealand's confirmed number of deaths from Novel Influenza A (H1N1) 09 swine flu is six, up one since yesterday.

Counties Manukau District Health Board (DHB) has confirmed a female with underlying medical conditions died yesterday. The woman had tested positive to Influenza A (H1N1). No further details about this case will be released.

The Ministry of Health's Dr Sandy Dawson says, "For most people who get influenza this winter, it will be a mild to moderate illness and they will recover at home without needing medical treatment. The deaths announced over the past few days show how quickly complications can arise in those with known risk factors and the need to monitor people's conditions very closely."

Dr Dawson says for people whose flu symptoms get worse, the advice is to phone their GP or Healthline on 0800 611 116. Symptoms which may require further medical advice include difficulty breathing or chest pain, a high temperature, drowsiness, severe vomiting or a cough with blood or green phlegm. Further information about symptoms which require medical advice is also on our website:
http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/influenza-a-h1n1-care-advice

There can be some delays for people ringing Healthline - those people who have symptoms and need advice should continue to wait until their calls are answered. Many people spend considerable time waiting for advice in GP surgeries or Emergency Departments when staff are busy and for this service, callers may also face delays of several minutes.

Latest Numbers
The cumulative total of confirmed cases of Novel Influenza A (H1N1) 09 swine flu is 1431, up from 1272 yesterday. The cumulative total of confirmed cases by region is no longer being reported because the actual number of cases of Novel influenza A (H1N1) 09 will be significantly higher, as only a small proportion of people with symptoms are now being tested. This is because for most people it's a mild illness and they will recover readily at home without needing medical treatment.

Australian situation
For the number of confirmed cases in Australia, go to the Australian Government's Department of Health and Ageing website:
http://www.healthemergency.gov.au/internet/healthemergency/publishing.nsf/Content/updates-12july09.htm

International Update from the World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is no longer issuing tables showing the numbers of confirmed cases for all countries. This is because there is an increasing number of cases in many countries, including New Zealand, which is making it extremely difficult to confirm laboratory testing in an accurate and timely manner. Internationally, the focus is on mananging the spread of the virus instead of counting the number of confirmed cases. However, as part of continued efforts to document the global spread of the H1N1 pandemic, regular updates will be provided describing the situation in the newly affected countries. For more information about this reporting change go to the WHO website:
http://www.who.int/en/

ENDS

Information in this update can be attributed to Dr Sandy Dawson, Ministry of Health.

For health information and advice, the public should call Healthline 0800 611 116.

For latest updates on Influenza A (H1N1) Swine Flu, visit http://www.moh.govt.nz