Man flu flies into New Zealand

OK, it might be a bit more serious than that. In news that sounds like it came straight out of a Hollywood script, an Air New Zealand 777-220 plane from Tokyo has been quarantined on arrival in Auckland after 73 of the passengers showed flu-like symptoms. 

The H3N2 flu virus that is sweeping Japan at the moment is believed to have high-tailed it to Auckland via a number of the passengers aboard the plane. There were 274 people on board the Boeing 777-200, the third largest plane that Air New Zealand operates, after the 747-400 and 777-300.

After being held on the plane for a couple of hours after arrival, the front section was allowed off, some for further tests while others were let straight through into the terminal. It was reported that medical officials with biohazard suites had to board the plane on arrival to asses the situation. Some passengers are still being held and tested at the airport. Local area hospitals are also on standby.

Japan is currently at the mercy of a major flu epidemic, with reports of more than 2.1 million Japanese suffering from flu symptoms.