14 Jun 2009
A spokesman for the Department of Health (DH) today (June 14) said the department was investigating eight newly confirmed cases of human swine influenza (Influenza A H1N1). Five of them are imported cases.
This brings to 92 the total number of human swine influenza cases in Hong Kong.
The first imported case involved a 17-year-old woman studying in the United States. She returned to Hong Kong from New York on June 8.　She had onset of fever yesterday and was admitted to Queen Mary Hospital on the same day for isolation.
The second imported case involved a 16-year-old boy studying in Los Angeles. He returned to Hong Kong via Seoul on June 12 by taking a flight of Korean Air (flight no. KE607). He sat in row 16 of the flight.
He developed fever and cough on June 12 and was admitted to Ruttonjee Hospital (RH) for isolation on June 13.
The third imported case involved a 39-year-old man who returned to Hong Kong from Bangkok on June 10. He had onset of sore throat, fever and myalgia on June 11 and was taken to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (PYNEH) for isolation on June 12.
The fourth imported case involved a 15-year-old girl. She, accompanied by her mother, arrived in Hong Kong from Los Angeles on June 14 by taking a flight of Cathay Pacific (CX883). She sat in row 59 of the flight.
She developed fever, cough and sore throat on June 10. She declared symptoms at the airport and was taken to Tuen Mun Hospital for isolation. Her mother developed runny nose today and was admitted to RH for isolation and testing.
The fifth imported case involved a 33-year-old woman who returned to Hong Kong from the Philippines on June 13 by taking a flight of Philippine Airlines (flight no. PR306). She sat in row 70 of the flight.
She had onset of fever on June 13 and was intercepted by Port Health Office. She was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital for isolation.
The remaining three cases involved three 13-year-old girls studying in St Paul's Convent School.
They had onset symptoms including sore throat, cough and fever on June 12. One of them was taken to PYNEH for isolation on June 12 while the other two were admitted to the same hospital on June 13.
Laboratory analysis on respiratory samples taken from the patients yielded positive results for human swine influenza today.
DH is now tracing passengers sitting in rows 16-18 of KE607 arrived in Hong Kong on June 12, those sitting in rows 57-61 of CX883 arrived in Hong Kong on June 14, and those sitting in row 68-72 of PR306 arrived in Hong Kong on June 13, and crew members of the flights concerned who had served the affected sections of the cabins concerned as well as close contacts of the patients.
Passengers who had travelled on the concerned flight are urged to call the DH hotline 2125 1111.
Investigations into the 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.