13 Mar 2008
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (March 13) followed up on 50 new reports of influenza-like illness (ILI) outbreaks affecting 305 people. Most of these reports were verified after the cut-off time yesterday. ILI may be caused by influenza or other respiratory viruses.
The reported outbreaks comprise 27 primary schools and 16 kindergartens/childcare centres, five secondary schools and one correctional institution and one special school. CHP's officials have provided health advice to the staff of all these institutions.
The vast majority of children with influenza recover spontaneously. Nonetheless, influenza is also a known cause of complications such as pneumonia, myocarditis, encephalitits, sepsis, etc. Influenza also not uncommonly causes hospitalizations among children in Hong Kong. During the year 2007, a total of approximately 1,400 children aged 12 years or below were hospitalized in hospitals under the Hospital Authority due to influenza
Under a new arrangement implemented today between CHP and both public and private hospitals to monitor the trend of influenza-related complications in children (including severe pneumonia, myocarditis, shock, sepsis-like or encephalopathy), three reports were received so far with laboratory evidence of influenza They are one three-year-old boy (whose case was announced yesterday).and two girls aged seven and eight respectively. Their current conditions are stable.
An Expert Group led by Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, Chairman of the Scientific Committee on Emerging Zoonotic Diseases of the CHP, convened the first meeting this afternoon to thoroughly investigate the three recent fatal cases involving children amid the recent seasonal influenza peak.
Meanwhile, the telephone hotline (2125-1133) set up by CHP to answer public enquiries on seasonal influenza has so far received 83 calls. It will continue to operate between 9 am and 6 pm from Monday to Friday.
More details of the institutional outbreaks, preventive tips and the daily update of influenza situation are now available in CHP's website (
http://www.chp.gov.hk
).