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The Department of Health's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch (PHLSB) today (February 11) detected a strain of human swine influenza (HSI) virus which was resistant to oseltamivir (Tamiflu).
A department spokesman said the virus was identified during the PHLSB's routine sensitivity tests of the HSI virus to oseltamivir and zanamivir.
"This is the ninth case of Tamiflu resistance to HSI virus detected in Hong Kong.
"Tests showed that this strain is sensitive to zanamivir (Relenza)," he said.
The virus was isolated from the specimen taken from a seven-year-old girl who had enjoyed good past health. She presented with fever, sore throat, cough and runny nose from January 31. The girl was admitted to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital on February 2. She was discharged the next day in a stable condition.
Her nasopharyngeal aspirate specimen taken on February 2 tested positive for the HSI virus and was resistant to Tamiflu but sensitive to Relenza.
The girl was not prescribed with Tamiflu during hospitalisation.
The spokesman said there was no evidence of further transmission of Tamiflu-resistant HSI from the patient.
The case will be reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The spokesman said that Hong Kong has an intensive surveillance system for antiviral resistant influenza viruses. The PHLSB conducts routine sensitivity tests on specimens taken from confirmed HSI patients.
"So far more than 6,700 HSI virus samples have been tested for antiviral sensitivity in Hong Kong," he said.
"We will closely liaise with the WHO and overseas health authorities to monitor the global development of antiviral-resistant HSI virus."
Ends/Friday, February 11, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:11
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