July 4 (Bloomberg) -- Australian swine flu contagion rose to 4,958 confirmed cases with 10 deaths as the first fatalities were reported in New Zealand.

Victoria remains Australia’s most heavily affected state with 1,691 H1N1 infections and seven fatalities, the Department of Health and Ageing said on its Web Site, citing data as of yesterday. The latest numbers show a nationwide increase of 390 cases from a day earlier.

New Zealand had its first deaths related to the virus, with a young girl and two adult men dying after testing positive for swine flu, the New Zealand Herald reported on its Web site.

It was “strongly probable” that H1N1 was a major cause of the two men’s deaths, the newspaper said, citing Chief Coroner Neil MacLean.

Australia reported its first swine flu death on June 19 when a 26-year-old Aboriginal man from a remote part of the country died in Adelaide, the state capital of South Australia.

The nation moved to a new national health alert level, called “protect,” on May 17 to focus on the early treatment of those vulnerable to the flu, including pregnant women, people with respiratory disease, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

To contact the reporter on this story: Robert Fenner in Melbourne rfenner@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: July 4, 2009 02:03 EDT