Sunday, February 12, 2012

Air New Zealand flight from Japan quarantined. 60 passengers have started displaying flu-like symptoms #H5N1 #BIRDFLU

9:48AM Monday February 13, 2012
BRK: Air New Zealand flight from Japan quarantined. 60 passengers have started displaying flu-like symptoms.

A major health response is under way after an Air New Zealand plane landed at Auckland Airport with children with flu-like symptoms on-board.

A group of 60 passengers arrived into Auckland off NZ90 from Narita, Tokyo, this morning with the symptoms.

Air New Zealand is following public health procedures and has advised the Auckland Regional Public Health Service.


The Boeing 777-200 has 274 passengers on-board, and no-one has been allowed to exit the aircraft.

Ambulance communications said a quarantine area has been set up on the aircraft.

Two crews are on the plane and are wearing personal protective gear.

A witness at the scene said the Manukau District Health Board workers are wearing boiler suits and face masks and are assembled by the new police station next to the domestic terminal with Ambulance.

Ambulance services are also set up to transport passengers if required.

One person, who tweeted that they have been on-board the plane for 30 minutes and claimsauthorities are "stuffing about".
"Two crews are on the plane. We haven't opened the doors yet."
Meanwhile, an influenza epidemic is spreading across Japan, doubling the number of cases per hospital, The Mainichi Daily News reported.
Over 90% of the cases are due to the Hong Kong influenza A virus subtype H3N2, the report said.

Google flu trends also shows that the virus is peaking in Japan.

The "Hong Kong Flu" pandemic of 1968 and 1969, caused by a strain of H3N2, killed an estimated one million people worldwide.  http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/health-scare-auckland-airport-4717991

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