Influenza (H1N1) Swine Flu - Update 200

With the increase in influenza H1N1 currently circulating the Ministry will now be providing public updates twice weekly.

There have been 389 hospitalisations of lab-confirmed pandemic influenza H1N1 this year to date in New Zealand, including 10 people currently in intensive care. There have been a total of 59 admissions to intensive care so far this year. These figures do not include influenza-like illness among people admitted to hospital without a positive H1N1 lab test result.

So far this year there have been six deaths reported as linked to swine flu - four of these deaths are currently being considered by the Coroner and so are not yet considered as confirmed as swine flu deaths.

Healthline handled around1400 calls each day during the weekend of all types. Average call volumes are running nearly 35 per cent higher than normal seasonal levels. Calls requiring an assessment of influenza-like illness make up about a quarter of daily call volume.

Schools are reporting routine levels of children being away from school due to illness - based on information from sentinel schools around the country, at the end of last week no region was reporting average sickness rates above 15%. The absenteeism rates in Wairarapa schools now appear to be returning to normal levels.

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23 July 2010 -- As of 18 July 2010, worldwide more than 214 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 18366 deaths. WHO is actively monitoring the progress of the pandemic through frequent consultations with the WHO Regional Offices and member states and through monitoring of multiple sources of information.

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Situation Update

Globally pandemic influenza activity remains low. The most active areas of influenza transmission remained in the tropical zones; primarily in West Africa, Central America, the Caribbean, and South and Southeast Asia, although activity is localized to relatively small areas in each region. In the temperate zone of the southern hemisphere, Australia and New Zealand have showed signs of increased respiratory disease in recent weeks. Both countries have continued to detect low levels of predominantly pandemic H1N1 influenza virus. In South Africa, the influenza season is well under way and is predominantly associated with seasonal influenza B and H3N2 viruses and small numbers of pandemic H1N1 influenza viruses.
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