9 Jun 2009
A spokesman for the Department of Health (DH) today (June 9) said the department was investigating four newly confirmed cases of human swine influenza (Influenza A H1N1).
This brings to 45 the total number of human swine influenza cases in Hong Kong. All of them are imported cases.
The first case involved a 27-year-old woman who travelled with a friend to the United States and Canada from May 28 to June 6. They returned to Hong Kong in the evening of June 7 by taking a flight of Air Canada (flight no. AC007, codeshare TG5867). She sat in row 54 of the flight.
The woman took an airport bus to her home in Kwong Fuk Estate, Tai Po and stayed at home that evening.
She developed runny nose and cough in the morning of June 8. She took a taxi to Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital and was admitted for isolation.
Her family contact is asymptomatic.
The second case is a 33-year-old man who went to Phuket with a friend from June 4 to 8. They returned to Hong Kong by taking a flight of Dragonair (flight no. KA213) on June 8 at about 10.30pm. He sat in row 26 of the flight.
The man developed cough on June 7. He declared symptoms in the health declaration form and did not pass temperature screening. He was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) by ambulance for isolation.
The third case involved a 39-year-old man living in Melbourne. He travelled with his family to Hong Kong on June 8 at about 3.30pm by taking a flight of Cathay Pacific (flight no. CX134). He sat in row 54 of the flight.
He developed fever during the journey and did not pass temperature screening. He was taken to PMH by ambulance for isolation.
His family members are asymptomatic.
The fourth case involved a 15-year-old girl studying in San Francisco. She returned to Hong Kong with an elder sister and a younger brother by taking a flight of Cathay Pacific (flight no CX873) in the morning of June 7. She sat in row 59 of the flight.
As her brother was confirmed to have infected with human swine influenza upon arriving Hong Kong on June 7, the girl had been put under directly observed chemoprophylaxis (DOC) and had taken tamiflu at Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village on same day.
She lived with her elder sister in Baiyun Building, Yau Ma Tei. She was detected to have fever at Yau Ma Tei Chest Clinic on June 8 and was sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital by ambulance for isolation.
Her family contacts are currently asymptomatic and had been put under DOC.
Laboratory analysis on respiratory samples taken from the four patients yielded positive results for human swine influenza today.
DH is now tracing passengers sitting in rows 51-57 of CA007 arrived in Hong Kong on June 7, those sitting in rows 23-29 of KA213 arrived in Hong Kong on June 8, and those sitting in rows 54-57 of CX134 arrived in Hong Kong on June 8, and crew members of the flights concerned who had served the affected sections of the cabins concerned as well as other close contacts of the four patients.
Passengers who had travelled on the concerned flights are urged to call the DH hotline 2125 1111.
Investigations into the four 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.