Plagues, Pestilences and Diseases
New Zealand still experiencing 'significant' levels of swine flu
* From correspondents in Wellington
* From: AFP
* August 11, 2010 12:23PM
NEW Zealand is still experiencing a significant level of swine flu,
health authorities said Wednesday, despite the World Health
Organization's declaration that the global pandemic was over.
"While some countries have seen H1N1 virus decline or crowded out by
other strains, this is not the case in New Zealand," said Darren Hunt,
the deputy director of public health.
Four people are believed to have died from swine flu in New Zealand
this year.
Mr Hunt said there had been "significant outbreaks" in some areas of
New Zealand, which had resulted in high levels of absenteeism from work
and school and higher than normal hospital admissions.
"The pandemic influenza strain is the predominant strain circulating
this winter," he said.
"We are seeing higher levels of hospitalisation in areas that weren't
severely affected last year.
"To date, there had been over 300 people admitted to hospital this year
with confirmed H1N1, which includes over 30 people admitted to
intensive care."
WHO Director General Margaret Chan told a telephone news conference
from Geneva that H1N1 had "largely run its course".
"The world is no longer in phase six of the pandemic alert. We are now
moving into the post-pandemic period," she said.
The WHO's top flu official, Keiji Fukuda, said the influenza virus was
no longer considered capable of causing another pandemic, even if more
severe outbreaks might occur in some countries.
Swine flu has killed more than 18,449 people and affected some 214
countries and territories since it was uncovered in Mexico and the
United States in April 2009, according to WHO data.