Five passengers on board the cruise ship Pacific Dawn were in isolation due to influenza A/H1N1 as the vessel is on a stop-over in the French Polynesian capital of Papeete.

The health ministry said the five have been given Tamiflu, and there is an unspecified number of people who were in close contact with the five, Radio New Zealand International reported on Thursday.

The ship is carrying nearly 2,000 passengers and almost 900 crew.

It arrived from Samoa and will sail to Bora Bora before continuing its voyage to Hawaii and California.

Meanwhile, the government in New Caledonia said three influenza A/H1N1 cases have been detected among people who have not traveled abroad or been in contact with people believed to have the infection.

This came as the total number of influenza A/H1N1 sufferers in the territory has risen to 46 after the first case was recorded three weeks ago.

(Xinhua News Agency July 16, 2009)