**************************************
A spokesman for the Department of Health (DH) today (June 12) said DH is investigating 10 newly confirmed cases of human swine influenza (Influenza A H1N1). Seven of them are imported cases.
This brings to 73 the total number of human swine influenza (HSI) cases in Hong Kong.
Among the 10 confirmed patients, two are household members of the students from St. Paul’s Convent School who were confirmed to have infected with HSI yesterday. One of them is a student of the school.
The first local case involved a 13-year-old girl is the sister of a confirmed patient of the school. She also studied in Form 1 of the same school. She developed cough and runny nose in the late evening yesterday and admitted to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (PYNEH) for isolation.
Her parents had already been put under directly observed chemoprophylaxis and medical surveillance (DOCMS).
The second local case is a 53-year-old man who is the father of a student of the school confirmed to have infected with HSI. He developed fever, cough, sore throat, myalgia and headache on June 11. He was admitted to PYNEH today for isolation.
Her wife and a domestic helper had already been put under DOCMS.
The third local case involved a 13-year-old girl studying in the school. She developed headache on June 7, sore throat and cough on June 9. The girl was taken to PYNEH on June 11 for isolation. Her family members are asymptomatic.
The first imported case involved a 21-year-old woman who returned to Hong Kong from the Philippines by taking a flight of Cebu Pacific (flight no. 5J110) on June 10. She sat in row 18 of the flight.
She developed fever and cough on June 6 when she was still in the Philippines. She was intercepted by Port Health Office and was admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) by ambulance for isolation.
The second imported case involved a 49-year-old woman who returned to Hong Kong from Toronto on June 7.She developed runny nose, headache and fever on June 10 and was admitted PYNEH for isolation the next day.
The third and the forth imported cases involved two sisters aged eight and 15. They came to Hong Kong from the Philippines by taking a flight of Cathay Pacific (flight no. CX900) on June 11. They sat in row 51 of the flight.
The elder sister developed cough on June 8 when she was still in the Philippines. The younger one developed cough and fever during the journey. They were intercepted by Port Health Office and were taken to PMH by ambulance for isolation.
The fifth imported case involved a 46-year-old man who returned to Hong Kong from the United States on June 5.He developed cough and headache on June 7 and was admitted to PMH for isolation.
The sixth imported case involved a 26-year-old man who returned to Hong Kong from the United States on June 8.He developed cough and runny nose on June 11 and was admitted to PYNEH for isolation.
The seventh imported case involved a 10-year-old girl. She returned to Hong Kong from San Francisco by taking a flight of Singapore Airlines (flight no. SQ1) on June 11. She sat in row 50 of the flight.
She developed fever this morning and was taken to United Christian Hospital for isolation.
Laboratory analysis on respiratory samples taken from these patients yielded positive results for HSI today.
Investigations into these cases are ongoing.
DH is now tracing passengers sitting in rows 16-20 of 5J110 arrived in Hong Kong on June 10, those sitting in rows 49-53 of CX900 arrived in Hong Kong on June 11 and, those sitting in rows 48-52 of SQ1 arrived in Hong Kong on June 11 and crew members who had served the affected section concerned as well as other close contact of the patients.
Passengers who had travelled on the flights concerned are urged to call the DH's hotline 2125 1111.
In light of the present development of HSI, the spokesman said apart from the existing control measures implemented at control points, DH's Port Health Office would put up notices in all exit points to advise departure and transfer travellers not to travel if they have fever or influenza symptoms.
The spokesman appealed to the members of the public to advise their children, relatives or friends coming to Hong Kong from abroad to defer their trips if they developed symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat.
"To protect their own health and that of other travellers, they should seek medical attention where they are.
"If they feel unwell on the plane, they should wear a face mask and inform cabin crew immediately," the spokesman said.
Ends/Friday, June 12, 2009
Issued at HKT 22:16
NNNN
