Reasonable Rascal
02-19-03, 16:22
INFLUENZA, H5N1 HUMAN CASE - CHINA (HONG KONG)
***************************************
A ProMED-mail post
[1]
Date: 19 Feb 2003
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: NY Times / AP 19 Feb 2003 9:59 AM
<http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Hong-Kong-Bird-Flu.html>
Hong Kong Boy, 9, Contracts Bird Flu
--------------------------------
HONG KONG (AP) -- A 9-year-old boy contracted bird flu after visiting southern China last month and his sister and father have died of unspecified illnesses, officials said Wednesday, raising fears of a recurrence of the deadly disease that first hit humans and killed six people in 1997.
Incidents of bird flu set off alarms in Hong Kong because of the deadly outbreak six years ago. Officials then killed all 1.4 million chickens in the territory to try to wipe out the virus.
The boy suffering from bird flu and his family visited relatives in China's Fujian province late last month.
The boy's 8-year-old sister developed pneumonia and died in a Fujian hospital on Jan. 28. Their 33-year-old father fell sick with pneumonia Feb. 7 and returned to Hong Kong for treatment before dying in Princess Margaret Hospital on Monday. The exact cause of both deaths was still being investigated, officials said.
The Health Department said the boy tested positive for the H5N1 strain of the avian flu, or bird flu. It is a different strain of the disease than the one that infected humans in 1997.
The boy was admitted to a hospital Feb. 12, three days after the start of a fever. He was in stable condition Wednesday, officials said.
The boy's 30-year-old mother, his sister and grandfather were also in Princess Margaret Hospital. The mother had an influenza virus infection but has since recovered. The hospital said all three were in good condition and it was not immediately clear why the three were in the hospital.
``The Department of Health has stepped up its surveillance system further by testing all severe pneumonia cases for H5. So far, we have no other positive results,'' Dr. Tse Lai-yin said in a statement.
The department is closely liaising with mainland authorities to monitor the situation and has reported the case to the World Health Organization, said Diana Kam, a health department spokeswoman.
Medical experts said the government needs to learn if the H5N1 virus originated in Hong Kong or on the mainland.
``We have to see whether the boy's family has also contracted the bird flu,'' lawmaker Dr. Lo Wing-lok, who represents the medical sector, told reporters. ``Is this an independent case or an outbreak?''
Meanwhile, Hong Kong agricultural officials reported new cases of bird flu at four poultry stalls in suburban Tai Po market where 12 chickens were found dead Wednesday morning.
After samples from the dead chickens tested positive for the H5 strain of avian flu, the poultry stall owners slaughtered all the birds in the stalls, authorities said.
Earlier this month, Hong Kong sent back almost 10,000 chickens from mainland China after tests indicated they may have been exposed to bird flu.
Date: 19 Feb 2003
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: WHO/ WER
<http://www.who.int/csr/don/2003_2_19/en/>
Influenza A(H5N1) in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China
---------------------
As of 19 February results from two laboratories have confirmed the presence of an avian influenza virus in a child in Hong Kong SAR. Tests conducted in two samples from this single patient have identified the virus as the strain of influenza A(H5N1). A similar virus caused an outbreak in Hong Kong SAR in 1997, with 18 cases detected and six deaths.
In the current outbreak, a 9-year-old boy who travelled to Fujian Province (China) in January with his mother and his two sisters became ill on February 9 and was admitted to a Hong Kong hospital on February 12. He has recovered and is in a stable condition. Other members of his family presented with a similar illness. The child's sister and father have died. The boy's mother was ill but has recovered.
It is not yet known whether the other family members were also infected with influenza A(H5N1). A medical and epidemiological investigation is ongoing in Hong Kong to determine the cause of those illnesses. Results should be available in the next few days. Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the infection.
The World Health Organization is collaborating closely with health authorities in Hong Kong SAR and China in investigating the outbreak. The WHO Global Influenza Surveillance network has been alerted.
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[As these articles mention, there was an outbreak of H5N1 influenza in Hong Kong in 1997/1998 (see ProMED-mail postings below covering this outbreak). In this current instance there is the suggestion that the location of infection may have been in Fujian Province (China) if the father also had H5N1 influenza. These articles also suggest that the current strain of H5N1 is different from the strain involved in the 1997
outbreak.
On a provocative note, checking the geography it is noteworthy that Guangdon Province is adjacent to Hong Kong and Fujian Province is the next northerly province on mainland China. A rather curious coincidence to have a major respiratory outbreak in a nearby province (see ProMED-mail postings on Pnuemonia - China (Guangdong) listed below). As a reminder there were approximately 350 cases of pneumonia with 5 deaths reported in Guangdong province. Checking population statistics, Guangdong province has a population of 70,510,000 with a population density of 1,027 per square mile -- a respiratory syndrome outbreak with approximately 350 cases in this environment would be classified as a small outbreak.
More information on this outbreak as it becomes available would be appreciated. - Mod. MPP]
***************************************
A ProMED-mail post
[1]
Date: 19 Feb 2003
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: NY Times / AP 19 Feb 2003 9:59 AM
<http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Hong-Kong-Bird-Flu.html>
Hong Kong Boy, 9, Contracts Bird Flu
--------------------------------
HONG KONG (AP) -- A 9-year-old boy contracted bird flu after visiting southern China last month and his sister and father have died of unspecified illnesses, officials said Wednesday, raising fears of a recurrence of the deadly disease that first hit humans and killed six people in 1997.
Incidents of bird flu set off alarms in Hong Kong because of the deadly outbreak six years ago. Officials then killed all 1.4 million chickens in the territory to try to wipe out the virus.
The boy suffering from bird flu and his family visited relatives in China's Fujian province late last month.
The boy's 8-year-old sister developed pneumonia and died in a Fujian hospital on Jan. 28. Their 33-year-old father fell sick with pneumonia Feb. 7 and returned to Hong Kong for treatment before dying in Princess Margaret Hospital on Monday. The exact cause of both deaths was still being investigated, officials said.
The Health Department said the boy tested positive for the H5N1 strain of the avian flu, or bird flu. It is a different strain of the disease than the one that infected humans in 1997.
The boy was admitted to a hospital Feb. 12, three days after the start of a fever. He was in stable condition Wednesday, officials said.
The boy's 30-year-old mother, his sister and grandfather were also in Princess Margaret Hospital. The mother had an influenza virus infection but has since recovered. The hospital said all three were in good condition and it was not immediately clear why the three were in the hospital.
``The Department of Health has stepped up its surveillance system further by testing all severe pneumonia cases for H5. So far, we have no other positive results,'' Dr. Tse Lai-yin said in a statement.
The department is closely liaising with mainland authorities to monitor the situation and has reported the case to the World Health Organization, said Diana Kam, a health department spokeswoman.
Medical experts said the government needs to learn if the H5N1 virus originated in Hong Kong or on the mainland.
``We have to see whether the boy's family has also contracted the bird flu,'' lawmaker Dr. Lo Wing-lok, who represents the medical sector, told reporters. ``Is this an independent case or an outbreak?''
Meanwhile, Hong Kong agricultural officials reported new cases of bird flu at four poultry stalls in suburban Tai Po market where 12 chickens were found dead Wednesday morning.
After samples from the dead chickens tested positive for the H5 strain of avian flu, the poultry stall owners slaughtered all the birds in the stalls, authorities said.
Earlier this month, Hong Kong sent back almost 10,000 chickens from mainland China after tests indicated they may have been exposed to bird flu.
Date: 19 Feb 2003
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: WHO/ WER
<http://www.who.int/csr/don/2003_2_19/en/>
Influenza A(H5N1) in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China
---------------------
As of 19 February results from two laboratories have confirmed the presence of an avian influenza virus in a child in Hong Kong SAR. Tests conducted in two samples from this single patient have identified the virus as the strain of influenza A(H5N1). A similar virus caused an outbreak in Hong Kong SAR in 1997, with 18 cases detected and six deaths.
In the current outbreak, a 9-year-old boy who travelled to Fujian Province (China) in January with his mother and his two sisters became ill on February 9 and was admitted to a Hong Kong hospital on February 12. He has recovered and is in a stable condition. Other members of his family presented with a similar illness. The child's sister and father have died. The boy's mother was ill but has recovered.
It is not yet known whether the other family members were also infected with influenza A(H5N1). A medical and epidemiological investigation is ongoing in Hong Kong to determine the cause of those illnesses. Results should be available in the next few days. Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the infection.
The World Health Organization is collaborating closely with health authorities in Hong Kong SAR and China in investigating the outbreak. The WHO Global Influenza Surveillance network has been alerted.
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[As these articles mention, there was an outbreak of H5N1 influenza in Hong Kong in 1997/1998 (see ProMED-mail postings below covering this outbreak). In this current instance there is the suggestion that the location of infection may have been in Fujian Province (China) if the father also had H5N1 influenza. These articles also suggest that the current strain of H5N1 is different from the strain involved in the 1997
outbreak.
On a provocative note, checking the geography it is noteworthy that Guangdon Province is adjacent to Hong Kong and Fujian Province is the next northerly province on mainland China. A rather curious coincidence to have a major respiratory outbreak in a nearby province (see ProMED-mail postings on Pnuemonia - China (Guangdong) listed below). As a reminder there were approximately 350 cases of pneumonia with 5 deaths reported in Guangdong province. Checking population statistics, Guangdong province has a population of 70,510,000 with a population density of 1,027 per square mile -- a respiratory syndrome outbreak with approximately 350 cases in this environment would be classified as a small outbreak.
More information on this outbreak as it becomes available would be appreciated. - Mod. MPP]