Auckland daycare centre shut over swine flu fears

A Meadowbank daycare centre has been shut after an Auckland Hospital nurse and her child contracted swine flu. Photo / Herald on Sunday

An Auckland daycare centre has been closed after a confirmed case of swine flu.

The Ministry of Health said the ABC Childcare Centre on Kelvin Rd in Meadow Bank has been closed after a child at the centre tested positive for Influenza A. It is likely the centre will remain closed until June 16, it said in a press release.

The child and its mother, an Auckland nurse, returned from a family holiday in the United Kingdom on Air NZ flight NZ1 on 6 June.

The nurse worked one shift at Auckland City Hospital's Ward 71 and the child attended the centre on June 8. The Ministry of Health is currently tracing people who have may have been in contact with the pair.

Dr David Sage, chief medical officer at Auckland City Hospital, said the nurse did not have flu symptoms when she turned up to work on June 8.

However, her child began showing flu-like symptoms during the day and medical treatment was sought immediately.

The nurse returned home after completing her shift and the family went into voluntarily isolation at home while awaiting the child's test results. It was then the nurse began showing flu symptoms.

Last night, both swabs returned positive results for Influenza A (H1N1).

Dr Sage said staff at Auckland City Hospital acted quickly to identify, isolate and treat those who were potentially affected. This includes staff, patients and visitors who were on Ward 71 on June 8.

"At this time, none of these people are showing flu-like symptoms," he said. He praised the hard work of staff who helped contain the potential spread of the virus.

While ward 71 remains open it is closed to new admissions and has strict infection-control procedures in place. Five patients are in isolation and the number of visitors and staff in the ward has been reduced.

Staff at the childcare centre are working with Auckland Regional Public Health (ARPH) staff to identify children who were at the centre on June 8.

The 29 children enrolled at the centre and seven staff are being offered Tamiflu and are in isolation at home.

Passengers on flight NZ1 are not being contacted as the child did not develop symptoms until 48 hours after arriving in New Zealand, and would not have been infectious during the flight.

The Ministry of Health's chief advisor on public health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, said as more people tested positive for influenza A there would be more instances where workplaces, schools, and child care centres would be affected.

"People have been highly cooperative to date. This has undoubtedly contributed to New Zealand's relatively low number of confirmed cases.

The total of confirmed cases in New Zealand is now 27, up from 23 yesterday. The total number of probable cases remains at 10.