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  • Cook Islands 1 death

    First swine flu case

    Saturday 4: The country?s first case of Influenza A (H1N1) was confirmed by the ministry of health yesterday.
    A 14-year-old Cook Islands boy who has been living in New Zealand for the past three months was confirmed on Thursday as having the new pandemic flu.
    He arrived unaccompanied in Rarotonga last Saturday to stay with family, and had already been sick for three days before boarding the Air New Zealand flight.
    The boy, who came from Rotorua, was picked up by the health staff at the airport on his arrival.
    He was quarantined and treated with Tamiflu at Rarotonga Hospital for about four days before being discharged to home quarantine with regular monitoring of his condition and his family members.
    ?Contact tracing of passengers seated two rows ahead and behind (on the aircraft) the case was completed and information provided on infection control measures, and what to do should they develop symptoms,? said the ministry.
    The ministry yesterday issued a public notice announcing the first case and encouraging people who have flu like symptoms to visit the Blackrock flu clinic.
    Taking precautions is the best way to prevent swine flu from spreading.
    Social distancing, proper hand washing, and coughing and sneeze etiquette are still being promoted by the ministry.
    Late last month the ministry confirmed that a nine-year-old Cook Islands boy who had caught swine flu was treated in New Zealand before being cleared for travel back to Rarotonga. He was also home quarantined and monitored in Rarotonga.
    The ministry is still sending samples to New Zealand for testing to help identify any further cases here. - HG

    "The only security we have is our ability to adapt."

  • #2
    Re: Cook Islands A/H1N1 2 more cases confirmed

    Cook Islands H1N1 Cases
    Thursday, 9 July 2009, 11:55 am
    Press Release: Cook Islands Government

    Ministry of Health Media Release
    08 July 2009

    At 7pm Tuesday 07 July 2009 notification was received from ESR Unit, Wellington, New Zealand that Cook Islands has two further confirmed positive cases of Influenza A H1N1.

    These two cases are residents of the Cooks Islands who have not traveled overseas in the last 20 days, live in two different villages Ngatangiia and Tepuka, and who have had no contact with each other. One is a 16 year old male the other a 33 year old female.

    Both cases presented to the Flu Clinic at Blackrock on the 3 July 2007, and were treated with appropriate medication and have been in home quarantine since. The Community Health Team has kept in contact with their families each day during home quarantine, and as of this morning no members of their families have any flu like symptoms.

    MOH is awaiting the results from New Zealand of two further cases and should have the results later on today.

    Cook Islands MOH has planned and prepared well for this event advising the community on coughing techniques and correct ways to wash and dry hands which will stop 80% of infection, making available a special flu clinic at Blackrock, and giving public health advice on home quarantine and the care of the sick.

    Social distancing is now a must. Do not go away from your home into the community, attend work or school while you have flu like symptoms. Practice coughing techniques, regularly wash and dry your hands with soap and running water. Get a copy of ?Taking care of a sick person with influenza in your home? pamphlet available from Community Health.

    The Flu Clinic at Blackrock is open 7 days per week from 8am to 4pm and we urge all who use this health service to phone 29667 first and make an appointment before going to the clinic. This is to stop possible cross infection and lengthy waiting times.

    After hours - do not go directly to the Hospital. Phone 22664 and ask to speak to the on duty doctor who will advise you what to do next.


    Heather Webber-Aitu
    Director of Hospital Health Services


    ENDS
    At 7pm Tuesday 07 July 2009 notification was received from ESR Unit, Wellington, New Zealand that Cook Islands has two further confirmed positive cases of Influenza A H1N1.
    "The only security we have is our ability to adapt."

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Cook Islands A/H1N1 3 Cases Confirmed

      Swine flu forces school to close

      Thursday 9: On Tuesday night two new cases of swine flu (Influenza A H1N1) were confirmed in Rarotonga.
      One of the cases has led to the closure of Apii Te Uki Ou in Ngatangiia for the week ? 150 students and their parents were told to return home yesterday morning when they arrived at the school.
      A 16 year old male student at Tereora College was confirmed as having swine flu and has been home quarantined since Saturday and treated with the antiviral Tamiflu.
      A health team visited the college yesterday to check and talk to other students, including some who have recently returned from a school trip to New Zealand.
      Principal Sharyn Paio says at present the college is taking advice from public health and continues to ask students not to come to school if they are sick and to call the Blackrock clinic to see the doctor there.
      Paio says proper hygiene is also being promoted as one of the best ways to avoid any spread of flu amongst the college?s 630 students.
      She says the college has no plans to close. Paio said health officials had been very reassuring in that they have the situation as well controlled as they can.
      Not the case with Apii Te Uki Ou however, which closed after one of its teachers, a 33 year old woman, was confirmed as having swine flu.
      The teacher had already been home quarantined and treated with an anti-viral for four days before the test results came back from the Wellington lab.
      Three other teaching staff at the school have been tested for the flu.
      Principal Jason Ataera says as a precaution the school will be closed until Monday next week, following advice from public health officials.
      ?They say it takes five to six days for the symptoms to surface so we are taking a cautious but temporary approach,? he says.
      Ataera says the school is trying to minimise the spread of any flu or cold among its teachers and students.
      ?It?s the flu season anyway so we are going to have students with the sniffles at school. It?s better that we take this break now.?
      In a notice issued to parents yesterday, Ataera said three more staff are being checked and have been quarantined as of Tuesday evening after already being on leave.
      Ataera said all families from the school are encouraged to stay at home and avoid public gatherings.
      ?I would like to thank those parents who have shown patience and understanding during this challenging time.
      ?I would also like to thank
      the support of Public Health who continues to touch base with the school and provide advice and resources as requested,? he wrote. - Helen Greig
      See story on page 5
      At 7pm Tuesday 07 July 2009 notification was received from ESR Unit, Wellington, New Zealand that Cook Islands has two further confirmed positive cases of Influenza A H1N1.


      It is good to see a precautionary approach is being taken and anti-virals are being administered at the first sign of symptoms! Well done Cook Islands!
      "The only security we have is our ability to adapt."

      Comment


      • #4
        First Influenza A/H1N1 Death Reported In NZ's Cooks Island



        First Influenza A/H1N1 Death Reported In NZ's Cooks Island

        WELLINGTON, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- The Pacific island nation of Cook Islands has reported its first death related to Influenza A/H1N1, China's Xinhua news agency reported, quoting a local daily as saying on Tuesday.

        A 36-year-old New Zealand female visitor, who died in Arorangi last month, was diagnosed to have an underlying respiratory disease.

        Cook Islands Ministry of Health has issued a pandemic influenza update announcing that the total number of laboratory confirmed cases now stands at 38.

        The new number represents an increase of 20 cases since the last update of Aug 3.

        On Monday, the number of cases jumped from 18 to 20 and since then more test results have been received by the ministry.

        The Cook Islands are in the South Pacific Ocean, north-east of New Zealand, between French Polynesia and Fiji.

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