Health Unit Tracing Swine Flu Contacts

9 June 2009

Joint media statement

Ministry Of Health & Wellington Regional Public Health

Health Unit Tracing Swine Flu Contacts

Staff from Wellington's Regional Public Health unit are busy tracing close contacts of the three Wellington people confirmed as having Influenza A (H1N1) “swine flu” this week.

The first case, notified on Monday, is a passenger off Air NZ flight NZ124 which arrived from Melbourne on 5 June 2009. The family, close contacts and passengers sitting in the two rows in front of and the two rows behind the case as well as the row the case was sitting in are being contacted. The case is in isolation at home and is being treated with Tamiflu.

Two further confirmed cases were reported by Wellington's Regional Public Health overnight, both cases arrived in New Zealand on 31 May from Los Angeles on flight NZ5. They became unwell after travelling together. Swabs were taken on Sunday 7 June. Both cases and their close contacts are being treated with Tamiflu and asked to stay at home in isolation. As symptoms did not appear until 4-5 days after arrival the pair are unlikely to have been infectious onboard NZ5 and passengers are not being traced.

These two most recent cases involve both family and workplace contacts. In one workplace,
eleven of the case's colleagues have been medically assessed, with one person who has symptoms being treated as a suspect case and swabbed. All of the staff in the workplace have been sent home with Tamiflu and given information on signs and symptoms of influenza and what to do if they become unwell.

The second Wellington case notified today works in an open plan office, where staff work in "pods" of four desks. Staff working in the five pods closest to the case, along with some other staff are being assessed by public health staff this afternoon. All have been offered Tamiflu and asked to stay in isolation at home, and anyone with symptoms has been swabbed.

A total of 29 staff who work in close contact with the case have been given Tamiflu and are in home isolation for 72 hours. All other staff have been given health information and advised what to do if they develop symptoms.

People who have recently returned from overseas and have influenza symptoms, or are a close contact of a confirmed case should phone for advice before visiting a doctor's surgery or medical centre. Healthline 0800 611 116 has registered nurses taking calls, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Practical information on what workplaces can do to prepare for a pandemic is available on the Department of Labour website www.dol.govt.nz

ENDS

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