ESR scientists take over swine flu tests

Swine-flu testing will be done in New Zealand from today, and scientists are being called in from other duties to cover the workload.

The Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) will do the testing at its national influenza centre in Wellington.

Virginia Hope, who heads the ESR national centre for biosecurity and infectious disease, told the Herald the first samples had arrived and testing was its "absolute priority".

The centre's scientists had been doubled to 12 and it was ready to process up to 1500 samples.

Dr Hope said preliminary testing for influenza A would be done by district health board laboratories, and ESR would focus on identifying the H1N1 swine flu strain.

She said samples would still be sent to the World Health Organisation centre in Melbourne for confirmation.

But a "provisional result" could be issued to those suspected of infection, saving the wait while samples crossed the Tasman.

The process would take more than 24 hours, but could be done within 48 hours if expedited.

Dr Hope said the samples had gone to Melbourne because they were the first "index cases". Because the swine flu was "novel", ESR would still use the WHO's expertise.

ESR had enough equipment, but could get more from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry if required.

ESR flu expert Sue Huang has been attending an influenza conference in Europe with other world experts but will arrive back in New Zealand today.