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In response to media enquiries, a spokesman for the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health today (August 30) said that the centre was informed by the Hospital Authority about the death of a 11-month-old baby boy in Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH) this morning.
Initial enquiries revealed that the boy, lived in the Mainland with his parents, developed fever and shortness of breath yesterday. He was admitted to a hospital in Haifeng for treatment of suspected pneumonia. He was taken by his relatives to North District Hospital at about 3.50am today. He was subsequently transferred to PWH. The boy passed away at 5.54am.
He had not traveled to Hong Kong recently.
Initial laboratory tests on the boy's nasopharyngeal aspirate specimen yielded negative results to influenza A and B, influenza H5N1 and SARS. The family members of the boy did not have similar symptoms.
The CHP contacted the Department of Health of Guangdong Province today and was learnt that there was no abnormal outbreak of infectious diseases in the province.
The case will be referred to the Coroner's court for investigations.
Ends/Saturday, August 30, 2008
Issued at HKT 21:17
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