Cruise ship due in Auckland with Flu passenger

3 June 2009

Cruise ship due in Auckland with Influenza passenger

At 0700 on June 4 the P&O cruise ship Pacific Sun is due to dock at Auckland.

One of the passengers on board the ship has tested positive for Influenza, with the type of influenza yet to be determined.

This passenger is a New Zealand woman who joined the ship in Brisbane on May 27.

The passenger developed flu-like symptoms on May 30 and was, along with her family members, put into isolation.

She was swabbed for influenza on board the ship using a rapid-result test. This gave a preliminary positive result for Influenza Type A. Further testing in Auckland will be done to determine if this is a correct result, and the type of Influenza.

The woman is now symptom free.

None of her close contacts have shown flu-like symptoms.

Nine other people on board the ship – six passengers and three crew – did show respiratory illness symptoms while on the cruise from Brisbane to Auckland.

Their symptoms were not considered flu-like. However, these people were tested onboard, and all these tests came back as negative for influenza. They are now all well.

The passenger who tested positive for Influenza and her close contacts, a group of approximately one dozen, will go to their homes and stay in quarantine for a length of time to be determined by public health officials.

The ship’s other passengers will be required to fill out passenger locator forms, and will be given information on what to do if they do develop flu-like symptoms after they disembark.

Auckland Regional Public Health clinical director Julia Peters said the ship’s medical staff had acted with best practice throughout the cruise.

“We think the way they have managed this situation has been extremely responsible, and that makes our job easier.”

The swab from the woman will be retested in Auckland. If this test shows as positive for Influenza A (H1N1), the management of the situation will be reviewed.

ends

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