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Monday, August 23, 2010

New Zealand : Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009 (swine flu) - Update 202

Via New Zealand's Ministry of Health :

" Influenza H1N1 activity is continuing to increase with some areas reporting higher hospitalisation rates than experienced during last year's pandemic.

As at midday today, there have been 501 hospitalisations of lab-confirmed pandemic influenza H1N1 this year to date in New Zealand, including 16 people currently in intensive care with confirmed H1N1. There have been a total of 77 admissions of confirmed H1N1 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.

Pandemic influenza H1N1 is the most common strain of influenza circulating in the community, although most people will not be tested for it. For the majority of people it's a mild to moderate illness, but for some it can be serious.

So far this year there have been ten deaths reported as linked to swine flu. Six of these deaths have so far been confirmed as being due to swine flu. The death reported since last Thursday's (19/8) update occurred in the Taranaki region. Further information on this case is available from Taranaki DHB's website.

There continues to be strong uptake of recommendations to seek medical advice early - this is particularly important for people with underlying medical conditions or who are severely overweight or pregnant as they are at greater risk of a more severe illness."

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