Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe said on Sunday that the country's reputation has been damaged by A/H1N1 flu.

In an interview with New Zealand Television, Fyfe said New Zealand had a disproportionate amount of coverage on international news channels, because it was among the first countries after Mexico to confirm cases of the disease.

That would damage New Zealand's reputation as a tourist destination, he said.

"I think bringing awareness of the fact that this was moving around the globe was very important," he said. "I'm just not sure we had to be the poster child for swine flu moving around the world."

The Ministry of Health said on Sunday that within New Zealand there are now four confirmed cases of A/H1N1 flu, 13 probable cases and 89 suspected cases.

On Sunday, 360 people were in isolation and being treated with Tamiflu - that's 91 more than the day before.

But the ministry says the number of people in quarantine will continue to fluctuate as more suspected cases come to light, while others are ruled out.

A person who arrived in Auckland on a flight from United States last Tuesday is the latest in New Zealand suspected of having swine flu.

The person had tested positive for influenza A and samples were being further tested to see if they had A/H1N1 flu, Ministry of Health deputy director of Public Health Darren Hunt said on Sunday.

The person arrived from San Francisco on flight NZ7 and health officials were attempting to find people who had been in close contact with the person, including the passengers two rows in front and two rows behind them, Hunt said.

Health authorities dealing with the flu are stepping up their efforts to gather information from international passengers arriving New Zealand airports.

Auckland International Airport, where planes from the United States land, had been the focus of public health efforts. Passengers arriving on flights from North America had been asked to provide extra details, such as contact telephone numbers.

Now, international passengers arriving in Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown also have to fill out forms to say where they can be contacted in New Zealand.

The Ministry of Health says it's a precaution in case it is discovered the disease has taken hold in other countries after the flights have arrived.

It said passengers can then be contacted much quicker.

New Zealand authorities will screen all passengers who are flying out of the country to Niue for influenza-type symptoms, at the request of the island's government.

Health Minister Tony Ryall said public health staff at Auckland International Airport will monitor the 110 or so passengers who catch the weekly flight to Niue.

He said Niue's request followed a recent outbreak of influenza on the island.

New Zealand was operating at a Code Yellow status as part of the Influenza Pandemic Action Plan, which meant the ambulance service was in a planning and preparedness phase.

The World Health Organization alert level is one step away from its highest level.

(Xinhua News Agency May 3, 2009)