Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Swine flu toll reaches 17

Updated at 9:06 pm on 6 September 2010

The Ministry of Health says there has been another death linked to swine flu, bringing to 17 the number of people who have died from swine flu this year.

The latest death was that of a 51-year-old woman in Auckland, who died on Saturday.

She had no underlying medical condition but was considered to be at risk from swine flu.

The ministry says 13 of the 17 deaths so far have been confirmed as being due to swine flu.

It says there have been 648 hospitalisations from swine flu, and there are 11 people in intensive care units with the virus.

Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand