Swine flu total jumps sharply by 64 cases

New Zealand's official count of swine flu cases jumped sharply again yesterday - the same day as the world's first case was reported of the virus being resistant to Tamiflu treatment.

The Ministry of Health reported 64 new cases of confirmed swine flu yesterday, taking the tally since the illness emerged in April to 653. However, the real number will be much higher, since routine swabbing of potential cases has stopped.

The Wellington region continues to have the greatest number of confirmed cases, at 209, followed by Canterbury on 183 and Auckland on 176.

In New Zealand, people infected have generally experienced mild to moderate illness, although this can still involve unpleasant symptoms.

One case is in a critical condition in Hawkes Bay Regional Hospital's intensive care unit, the second person admitted to hospital in a critical condition with the disease in New Zealand.

A 30-year-old Lower Hutt woman admitted to Wellington Hospital critically ill with swine flu two weeks ago is reported to be slowly improving.

The World Health Organisation said there had been 70,893 cases worldwide by yesterday, with 311 deaths.

The first Tamiflu-resistant case was reported in Denmark. The woman was given an alternative medicine for treating and preventing influenza, Relenza, and her flu symptoms have stopped. Scientists said the resistant strain had not spread to others.

The New Zealand Government has stockpiled Relenza and Tamiflu. Public health units prescribed them widely, especially Tamiflu, when the virus first arrived, but are now limiting their use.

Some seasonal flu viruses are already known to be resistant to Tamiflu.

Until an effective vaccine is developed, anti-flu drugs are considered the best drug defences.

Swine flu vaccines continue to edge closer to becoming available.

Researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia said one developed using caterpillar cells would be ready in a few months, if clinical trials could be fast-tracked.

They had produced Australia's first batch of the US-developed FluBlok.

The company behind the vaccine, US-based Protein Sciences, plans human trials in the US, Mexico and Australia. The vaccine is made by infecting caterpillar cells, which the company says means it can be manufactured faster than traditional methods using chicken or mammal eggs.

- AGENCIES