New Zealand's confirmed cases of Influenza A/H1N1 increased by one to 11 on Thursday after a person infected with the illness arrived in Auckland from North America, said the Ministry of Health.

The person arrived in New Zealand on May 30 on Air NZ flight NZ5, although the confirmed case was notified only Wednesday.

This person and close contacts, along with passengers who were seated in the two rows in front of and the two rows behind the case as well as the row the case was sitting in were being contacted and asked to stay in isolation at home while they were being treated with Tamiflu, the ministry said.

The cumulative total of probable cases remains at 10 on Thursday- unchanged since Wednesday.

There are currently 66 suspected cases, up from 51 on Wednesday.

Sixty three people were in isolation or quarantine and being treated with Tamiflu, up from 54 since Wednesday.

In a related development, a New Zealand woman on board the Pacific Sun cruise ship, which docked in Auckland on Thursday morning, appeared to have seasonal influenza after testing positive last week for influenza type A.

She and 12 others were being quarantined in their homes after disembarking Thursday, and had been kept separate from the 1700 other passengers.

Further testing was being done on the woman, who boarded the ship in Brisbane and has recovered.

Although New Zealand's confirmed Influenza A/H1N1 cases had been capped at 11, health authorities believed that an increase was inevitable, particularly given the soaring number of cases in Australia.

"We are watching with concern the rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases in Australia, particularly in the state of Victoria and some Melbourne schools," said Darren Hunt, deputy director of public health.

"The continuing rise in the number of overseas cases notified to the World Health Organization and the sudden increase in the number of confirmed cases in our closest neighbor make it increasingly difficult to keep influenza A (H1N1) out of New Zealand," he said.

The ministry is launching a campaign to increase awareness about how to keep the flu at bay and how to prepare for its likely spread in the country.

Health officials have recommended people that anyone show symptoms should stay home and contact their doctor by phone, rather than risk infecting others.

(Xinhua News Agency June 4, 2009)