Wellington - Twelve people in New Zealand have been dubbed probable swine-flu patients and are being treated as if they have the disease after testing positive for the influenza A strain of the virus, the government said Saturday. In addition, there are 116 suspected cases, Darren Hunt, deputy director of public health, said at a news conference. They are people who have developed symptoms of influenza within seven days of being in Mexico or North America or have had close contact with flu patients and have flu symptoms themselves.

Hunt said the numbers would continue to fluctuate daily as a result of more suspected cases being found or suspected cases being ruled out in New Zealand, where four people have been confirmed to have swine flu.

Doctors and nurses continued to screen about 1,000 passengers a day arriving at Auckland International Airport from North America.

All passengers on the Air New Zealand flight from Los Angeles that on April 25 brought home students from an Auckland college who were the first people to be diagnosed with the disease after completing a study trip to Mexico were cleared to resume normal life if they had no symptoms.

Hunt said all had completed three-day courses of Tamiflu antiviral medicine and isolation.

Mexico has been the worst-hit country in the outbreak of swine flu or H1N1, a strain of influenza A. Its government said late Friday that it has had 16 deaths and 397 cases of the virus.

Fourteen other countries have reported infections, but there has been only one other death, reported in the United States.

The swine-flu outbreak is caused by a new flu strain that has genetic elements that come from three species - pigs, birds and humans.(dpa)