New Zealand and South Korea said today they were investigating more suspected cases of swine flu, as hastily arranged measures designed to contain the disease's spread in Asia were put to the test.
The region, which has had no deaths so far, has tightened already stringent screening at airports and transport hubs since the beginning of the week after the virus first showed up in Mexico before spreading to Europe and beyond.
With the World Health Organisation warning of a significant increase in the risk of pandemic and the United States today reporting the first death outside Mexico, which has 159 suspected swine flu fatalities -- Asia, like the rest of the world, is on full alert.
New Zealand, the only country in the region with confirmed cases, announced three more likely ones on Wednesday, taking the country's total of probable and confirmed infections to 14.
With dozens of others in isolation or under investigation, New Zealand's health ministry said all three new cases were people who had travelled to Mexico or North America recently.
"Because of their travel history... We need to assume that this is swine flu," said Julia Peters, of the regional public health service in Auckland.
