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Genetic sequencing studies of the virus isolated from a nine-month-old girl with H9N2 infection showed that all the genes from the virus were entirely of avian origin, a spokesman for the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health said today (March 23).
The spokesman explained that the test results indicated it was more likely that the virus was directly transmitted from bird to human and that there was no re-assortment with human influenza virus.
As regards the laboratory tests on the respiratory specimens taken from a healthcare worker and three children staying in the same cubicle in the United Christian Hospital with the baby girl in early March, all of them yielded negative result to H9 virus.
The four had shown mild upper respiratory infection symptoms and specimens were taken from them for testing yesterday.
Ends/Friday, March 23, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:28
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