28 May 2009
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (May 28) advised a secondary school in Kwun Tong to suspend classes for two weeks to stop the possible spread of human swine influenza (Influenza A H1N1) in the school.
The advice was made following the confirmation of the thirteenth case of human swine influenza in Hong Kong involving a 17-year-old student of the school, a CHP spokesman said.
The patient is a girl studying in United Christian College (Kowloon East). She travelled to Vancouver with her mother, uncle and a four-year-old cousin from May 12 to 24 and then to Korea from May 21 to 24. The four-year-old boy was confirmed to have been infected with human swine influenza yesterday.
The girl developed upper respiratory symptoms yesterday and was admitted to Queen Mary Hospital for observation.
Laboratory analysis on respiratory sample taken from her yielded positive result for human swine influenza today.
She will be transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) for isolation and is now in stable condition.
The girl returned to her school yesterday to conduct a rehearsal with her classmates for the graduation ceremony. The students and staff of the school who had close contact with the girl will be put under medical surveillance.
The spokesman said the CHP would closely monitor the situation.
"Parents are advised to pay attention to the health condition of their children, and to remind them to observe good personal and environmental hygiene," he said.
The home contacts of the girl are asymptomatic. Investigations into the case are ongoing.
Meanwhile, the spokesman called on 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.