NZ - Swine flu predominant virus in Canterbury

[Sally Furniss]

Swine flu predominant virus in Canterbury

Medical officials in Canterbury say swine flu has become the predominant virus in the region in the space of five weeks.

There are now 2230 confirmed cases of the virus in New Zealand.

Ten people with the virus have died.

Dr Phil Schroeder, who heads the Canterbury Primary Pandemic Group, says 90% of those tested for influenza A in the region are showing up as swine flu-positive.

He says swine flu is proving difficult to contain in the region, considering it only recorded its first case of the virus in early June.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2009/07/18/1245bc1eb2c5

[gsgs]

Re: NZ - Swine flu predominant virus in Canterbury

if we consider normal flu alone, then is it a normal season,
comparable with last year ?

Or is ****** already killing oldflu

we need a chart of estimated ILI excluding ******




when reading the headline, I was hoping for the predominant
substrain, but apparantly this is being kept secret for the
Southern Hemisphere.

Well, presumably it's just the winter-weather and not the substrain,
but I'd like to know anyway

[pinkfrost]

Re: NZ - Swine flu predominant virus in Canterbury

Last wk across NZ the weekly consultation rate for flu was 280 per 100,000 (but as high as 1400 in one region). In 2003 and 2005 (the "worst" flu yrs in last 5 yrs) the peaks were about 200/100,000.