********************************************
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
Upon the confirmation of two human cases of avian influenza H5N1 in Jiangsu province in the past week, the Hospital Authority (HA) today (December 10) announced that it will implement a four-week enhanced surveillance programme in public hospitals from tomorrow (December 11) until January 7, 2008, as follows:
- Public hospitals should report to the e-Flu system of the HA all patients fulfilling the case definition of having pneumonia (all types) of unidentified etiology and who have travelled within 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 laboratory of Queen Mary Hospital and the Public Health Laboratory Centre of the Department of Health will participate in the enhanced surveillance programme to provide rapid testing for avian influenza.
- This special enhanced surveillance programme will be reviewed in four weeks' time.
- Meanwhile, all infection control measures of public hospitals under the current Alert Response Level are still in effect.
The HA will continue to co-operate with the Centre for Health Protection to keep the public and professionals posted of the most updated situation and relevant information.
Ends/Monday, December 10, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:56
NNNN
