Asthmatics warned as swine flu hits

On average, asthmatics take only 20 to 30 per cent of the preventer medication they should. Photo / BOP Times

Health experts are warning asthmatics to take extra precautions after New Zealand's first death linked to swine flu occurred in a teenager with asthma.

The death eight days ago of 19-year-old Zachary Wilson of Hamilton was revealed on Saturday by health authorities.

He had a history of asthma and had been ill for several days before his death. Swine flu infection was diagnosed by autopsy. Mr Wilson's death is one of three linked to A-H1N1 swine influenza - New Zealand's first deaths in the global epidemic. The country had recorded 961 confirmed cases of the disease by yesterday.

The second and third deaths, also revealed on Saturday, were of a 42-year-old man in Christchurch last Thursday and, on Saturday morning, a girl in Wellington.

Swine flu is likely to have been major factor in the man's death, and the girl had earlier tested positive for the virus. Both had underlying medical conditions.

One in six people in New Zealand has asthma. Symptoms can be triggered by varying causes, including cold and flu viruses.

Respiratory physician Professor Robin Taylor of Otago University said last night that if asthmatics' airway inflammation was under control from using their symptom preventer medication they were less likely to have a bad time if they caught swine flu.

"The message to my patients is to make sure you are taking your inhaled steroid on a regular basis."

He was not familiar with Mr Wilson's health history, but said people with asthma on average took only 20 to 30 per cent of the preventer medication they should use - and adolescent males used even less.

People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were also at increased risk from swine flu. He said doctors would consider using Tamiflu to treat influenza in patients with asthma or COPD.

The Health Ministry's director of public health, Dr Mark Jacobs, said people prescribed asthma preventer drugs and those with other chronic health conditions that increased their risk of swine flu complications should phone their GP or the 24-hour Healthline (0800 611 116) for advice if they developed flu symptoms. He said the Healthline had experienced a 40 per cent increase in calls after the deaths were announced. He encouraged those who called and had to wait to keep holding to speak to a nurse.

Dr Jacobs did not know how many people had been hospitalised with swine flu.

Auckland City Hospital's chief medical officer, David Sage, said two patients were in the adult intensive care unit with swine flu last night.

Last week, the hospital had around 10 flu patients at any one time, of whom four had swine flu. Twenty elective surgery cases had to be postponed, and postponements were expected to increase as swine flu spread more widely in the community.