Apr 26, 2009, 10:33 GMT
Wellington - Ten teenage New Zealand college students who tested positive for influenza a day after returning from a Spanish language study visit to Mexico, are likely to have swine flu, Health Minister Tony Ryall said on Sunday.
'Ministry of Health officials advise me there is no guarantee that these young people have swine flu, but officials believe it is highly likely that they do,' he told a news conference.
'All precautions are being taken to allow for this. However, I am also informed none of the affected patients are considered seriously ill, and most in fact seem to be on the road to recovery,' Ryall said.
He said ten positive results for influenza A had been obtained from testing carried out on 13 students from Rangitoto College, Auckland, who showed some flu-like symptoms when they returned from Mexico early Saturday morning.
'These results will now be sent to the World Health Organisation laboratory in Melbourne to ascertain whether it is the H1N1 swine influenza,' Ryall said.
He said that some other members of the party were beginning to show symptoms on Sunday evening.
Rangitoto College principal David Hodge said three female teachers, 14 girls and eight boys aged 15 to 18 from the college spent most of their time in Mexico City on the three-week language study trip.
As the Ministry of Health raised its pandemic alert from white to standby yellow, Ryall urged other passengers on the Air New Zealand flight from Los Angeles to Auckland which the students travelled on to consult a doctor if they developed flu-like symptoms.
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