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In view of a human case of avian influenza H5N1 in Shenzhen, the Hospital Authority started the three-week Enhanced Surveillance Programme on June 15.
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 Hospital Authority yesterday and today (June 25-26) received the report of a total of 12 cases (five male and seven female, aged seven months to 78 years). So far, reports of 118 cases (67 male and 51 female, aged two months to 89 years) have been received. These patients had visited Guangdong, Hunan, Hubei, Fujian and Zhejiang before the onset of symptoms. The Hospital Authority has reported the cases to the Centre for Health Protection. Public hospitals are providing rapid tests for these patients.
Ends/Monday, June 26, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:55
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