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A joint communication exercise involving the health authorities of the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau was held today (December 3) to test their cooperation and coordination in mounting an emergency response in the event of a cross-border incident of avian flu involving human cases.
The Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, who led Hong Kong・s team in the exercise, said it was a valuable opportunity for the three places to review their response actions via video-conference in respective command and control centres.
：The exercise has further bolstered collaboration and communication among the three places in emergency preparedness and response for public health crisis. The importance of timely notification and collaboration for the prevention of avian influenza and pandemic influenza was highlighted,； Dr Chow said.
The Director of Health, Dr P Y Lam, said that the Department of Health (DH) would strengthen its work with health authorities on the Mainland and in Macau in the prevention of infectious diseases.
This was the second joint exercise organized under the Co-operation Agreement on Response Mechanism for Public Health Emergencies signed by the three places in 2005.
Code-named Great Wall 2007, the exercise was based on a scenario in which several members of a family on the Mainland had been infected with avian flu during a visit to a poultry market and one of them had travelled by public transport to Hong Kong via Macau before symptoms emerged.
During the exercise, emergency responses set out in preparedness plans were tested, using tele-communication facilities, including tele-conferencing. These included notification of counterparts in the three places, epidemiological investigation of the affected patients, contact tracing and medical surveillance for probable cases.
More than 60 public health officials and medical personnel took part in the exercise. Participating organizations included the Food and Health Bureau, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority (HA) in Hong Kong, the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Beijing, the Jiangsu province Health Department and the Health Bureau of Macau.
The scenario of today・s exercise unfolded when a 17-year-old girl living in Jiangsu province was confirmed to have been infected with avian influenza virus after visiting a local poultry market with her mother, brother and uncle. Her mother and brother also developed influenza symptoms while her uncle had arrived in Hong Kong via Macau.
The MOH promptly notified the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the DH and the Health Bureau of Macau of the case.
In order to control and prevent the spread of the disease, the health authorities of the three places immediately swung into action.
In Hong Kong, the DH promptly located the girl・s uncle who had developed symptoms of influenza upon arrival in the territory. The man was taken to an isolation ward of the HA・s Infectious Disease Centre for treatment. A nasal swab taken from him subsequently tested positive for influenza (H5N1) virus. The Government activated the ：Serious Response Level； and the HA activated the corresponding contingency measures.
After epidemiological investigation and contact tracing, the DH found 22 people who had had contact with the man while he travelled and stayed in Hong Kong. All of them were taken to a holiday village for quarantine and were put under medical surveillance.
At the same time, Hong Kong and Macau authorities received notification from the Mainland that the index patient・s mother was confirmed to have been infected with avian influenza virus.
The exercise ended when the participants exchanged information on their respective actions and the latest situation in the three places and the situation was subsequently brought under control.
Ends/Monday, December 3, 2007
Issued at HKT 12:42
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