Nine in isolation as swine flu ebbs

All seven confirmed and 12 probable cases of swine flu have recovered, and the number of suspected cases has fallen to 41, the Ministry of Health said today.

There were still nine people in isolation and being treated with Tamiflu, the ministry said.

The number of people in isolation peaked above 400, and has been steadily dropping as people complete 72 hours of the five-day course of Tamiflu.

The swine flu alert was first sparked in New Zealand when a party of Auckland college students returned from a trip to Mexico via Los Angeles on April 25.

Worldwide, 33 countries have officially reported 5728 cases of swine flu, according to the World Health Organisation.

There have been 56 deaths in Mexico, three deaths in the United States, one death in Canada and one in Costa Rica.