The number of confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 in New Zealand has risen by three to 17 in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said on Monday.

One of the three new confirmed cases was the seven-year-old son of a Canterbury man, who was a passenger off Air NZ flight NZ5 which arrived from Los Angeles on May 31.

The second new confirmed case was a passenger also off flight NZ5 which arrived from Los Angeles on May 31. Both of the May 31 NZ5 cases were believed to have been separately exposed during their travels.

The third case was a passenger off Air NZ flight NZ124 which arrived from Melbourne on June 5.

The cumulative total of probable cases was 10 in New Zealand.

There were currently 103 suspected cases, up from 92 on Sunday.

There were 92 people in isolation or quarantine and being treated with Tamiflu.

(Xinhua News Agency June 8, 2009)