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R/£ Communion wafer caution
May 02, 2009 Edition 1
The Roman Catholic Church in New Zealand instructed priests yesterday not to place communion wafers in worshippers' mouths because of swine flu risks, while indigenous Maori were urged to stop using an ancient traditional greeting that brings people nose-to-nose.
The measures were the latest attempts to combat swine flu in New Zealand, which - along with Hong Kong - has the only confirmed cases of the virus in the Asia-Pacific region almost a week after it started its global spread from Mexico.
Hong Kong announced late yesterday it had a confirmed case.
Nearly 170 people suspected of having swine flu have died in Mexico, and more than 3 000 have been sickened.
One toddler has died in the United States, which has 132 confirmed cases.
Half a dozen countries in Europe have confirmed cases, as do Canada and Israel. - Sapa-AP
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