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Upon notification from the Health Department of Guangdong Province concerning a suspected human case of avian influenza H5N1 in Shenzhen, the Hospital Authority today (June 15) started the three-week Enhanced Surveillance Programme.
Public hospitals should report to the Authority's e-Flu system all patients fulfilling the case definition of having pneumonia (all types) of unidentified etiology and who had travelled in the seven days before the onset of symptoms, to affected areas/ countries with confirmed human cases of avian influenza infection in the past six months.
The authority today (June 15) received the report of a total of 10 cases (five male and five female, aged 1 to 75). These patients have visited Guangdong and Hubei before the onset of symptoms. The authority has reported the cases to the Centre for Health Protection. Public hospitals are providing rapid tests for these patients.
Ends/Thursday, June 15, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:54
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