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Gisborne Boys High School - Source: ONE News -
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A group of Gisborne Boys' High School students recently returned from a trip to Brisbane are being isolated in their homes with suspected H1N1 flu.
Seventeen students, two teachers and one parent were in the group who notified health authorities on Tuesday morning, after five exhibited flu-like symptoms.
Public Health staff took swabs of ten of them and the ones that have viral symptoms have been prescribed a course of Tamiflu.
It is hoped the test results will be available on Wednesday.
They are considered as suspected cases as Australia is deemed by the Ministry of Health as an "affected area".
Medical Officer of Health Dr Geoff Cramp says the school had taken the right steps by isolating the party from the rest of the school.
"They moved quickly to ensure any possible spread would be minimal," he says.
"While we wait for the results of the swabs from Christchurch the party will be asked to remain in isolation so that the virus is not transferred to the wider community."
Gisborne Boys principal Gregg Mackle says they stayed at the school overnight but have now gone home.
He says all the students are Year 13 and the five students with symptoms are being treated with Tamiflu.
"There was one boy who felt sick and stayed home yesterday thank goodness, and the other boys when I spoke to them this morning, and when I involved the Public Health Unit that's when I thought, oh no, we need to get on to this straight away," says Mackle.
Most of the students spent the day at school on Monday, mixing with others while they could have been infectious.
"Obviously there was some concern about that but I guess we just need to go forward from here, and wait for any of those test results that come back from Christchurch," says Mackle.
The number of confirmed H1N1 cases in New Zealand remained at 17.
A Canterbury father and son were the South Island's first cases after the father travelled to the United States.
The family had been in isolation at home after the boy's father was suspected of having Influenza A (H1N1) and treated with Tamiflu.
The father is recovering well and his time in quarantine has ended.
Swimmers suffer blow
New Zealand's swimmers have suffered a blow in their build-up to next month's world championships in Rome.
A Grand Prix meet in Melbourne next weekend has been cancelled due to the H1N1 flu outbreak.
A number of New Zealanders were due to compete in the meet which was to be their only warm-up event prior to the world championships.
