Noumea, August 24: The death toll from swine flu in New Caledonia has risen to five following the death of a 46-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, health officials in the French Pacific territory said Monday.
Both succumbed to pneumonia brought on by A(H1N1) influenza, but neither had pre-existing health conditions that put them at greater risk from the virus, the territory’s health department said.
The territory, which sits 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) east of Australia, the worst-hit nation in the Asia-Pacific region and is connected to its neighbour by daily flights, recorded its first swine flu death only last week.
Authorities said last week that as many 20,000 people had “potentially” been infected with swine flu — some eight percent of the population of the territory, which is currently in the midst of its winter flu season.
Philippe Dunoyer, a government official responsible for health, said there were currently no plans to step up measures to contain the spread of the virus.
–Agencies