The number of confirmed Influenza A/H1N1 cases in New Zealand rose by two, the Health Ministry said on Friday.

Laboratory tests confirmed two cases, previously classed as probable, were Influenza A/H1N1, bringing New Zealand's total number of confirmed cases to nine, the Health Ministry said.

The two cases included an Auckland college student who had returned from Mexico and another passenger from the same flight.

The confirmation of the two brings the total number of probable cases down to 10. All the people with confirmed cases, including the two on Friday, and probable cases had been treated and had fully recovered, the ministry said.

Forty others were classed as having a suspected case of the flu.

There were still nine people in isolation and being treated with Tamiflu, the ministry said.

The number of people in isolation peaked above 400, and has been steadily dropping as people complete 72 hours of the five-day course of Tamiflu.

The flu alert was first sparked in New Zealand when the party of Auckland college students returned from Mexico via Los Angeles on April 25.

(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2009)