6 Jun 2009
A spokesman for the Department of Health (DH) today (June 6) said that the department was investigating three newly confirmed cases of human swine influenza (Influenza A H1N1).
This brings to 33 the total number of human swine influenza cases in Hong Kong. All of them are imported cases.
The first newly confirmed case involved a 20-year-old woman studying in Switzerland. She left Geneva for London by a flight of British Airways (flight no. BA 729) on June 4. She then travelled to Hong Kong by BA 025 and arrived at about 2 pm on June 5. She sat in row 34 and put on a mask during the journey as she developed cough on the flight.
She was intercepted by Port Health officers at the airport as she had declared discomfort in the health declaration form. She was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) by ambulance for isolation.
The second case involved an 18-year-old man studying in Toronto. He returned to Hong Kong on June 4 by taking a flight of Cathay Pacific Airlines (flight no. CX 827).He sat in row 34 and had onset of cough on the flight. He had put on a mask on the flight.
He was intercepted at the airport by Port Health staff as he had failed to pass temperature screening. However, he reported asymptomatic both in the health declaration form and during interview at the health post. He was put under 7-day medical surveillance, requiring to observe his health condition and seek medical attention immediately if necessary.
The man was greeted by his parents at the airport and they took a green taxi to their home at Block 13, Chevalier Garden, Ma On Shan. He then sought medical treatment at a private clinic in the evening.
On June 5, the man went to Immigration Department in Fo Tan with his mother on a red taxi to apply for some documents. Both of them then took another red taxi to Prince of Wales Hospital where the man was admitted for isolation.
The man lives with his parents who are asymptomatic.
The third case is a 25-year-old woman who left for Canada with her grandmother on May 23. She returned to Hong Kong alone from Vancouver on June 3 by taking a flight of Cathay Pacific airlines (flight no.CX 839). She lives in Chung Chi House, Chung On Estate in Ma On Shan.
The woman went to her office in Central in the morning of June 5 and had onset of cough in the afternoon. She had fever this morning. She, accompanied by her mother, sought medical attention at a private clinic in Chung On Estate and was advised to attend public hospital for further management. The two took a taxi to PMH about noon where the 25-year-old woman was admitted for isolation.
Laboratory analysis on respiratory samples taken from the three patients yielded positive results for human swine influenza today.
DH is now tracing passengers sitting in rows 33-36 of BA025 arrived in Hong Kong on June 5 and those sitting in rows 31-37 of CX 827 arrived in Hong Kong on June 4, and crew members of the flights concerned who had served the affected sections of the cabins concerned as well as other close contact of the two patients.
Passengers who had travelled on the two concerned flights are urged to call the DH hotline 2125 1111.
As the third patient had onset of symptoms more than 12 hours after arriving Hong Kong, the Centre for Health Protection would not trace the passengers of the flight concerned.
The spokesman urged the taxi drivers who took the man and his parents from the airport to Chevalier Garden in the afternoon of June 4, or who took the man and his mother from Chevalier to the office of Immigration Department in Fo Tan in the morning of June 5, or from Fo Tan to Prince of Wales Hospital at about 12.30 pm on June 5 to call the hotline.
Taxi driver who had taken two women from Chung On Estate to PMH before noon today is also advised to call the hotline.
Investigations into the three cases 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.