Health officials in Papua New Guinea are investigating the mysterious deaths last week of an unknown number of people in remote villages in Morobe Province.
A medical team from the World Health Organisation and PNG's health department has flown into the areas to assess the situation and collect samples in an effort to find out what is causing the deaths, which have been put as high as 40 by some media.
The Public Health executive manager, Enoch Posanai, says they cannot say how many have died.
He says the investigative team is due back today and results from swabs should be known by next week.
"We are sort of doing all our best to work with the people at a provincial level and people on the ground to make sure that we contain those outbreaks. We are sending the team from here including the support from the World Health Organisation to provide the support that is needed on the ground."
Mr Posani says some of the victims have had respiratory problems, others diarrhoea and dehydration, but he says doctors won't know if there is any link to the swine flu virus until laboratory results are known.
