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A spokesman for the Department of Health (DH) today (June 8) said that the department was investigating three newly confirmed cases of human swine influenza (Influenza A H1N1).
This brings to 41 the total number of human swine influenza cases in Hong Kong. All of them are imported cases.
The first case involved a 27-year-old woman who left for Los Angeles with four colleagues on May 27 to participate in a jewellery exhibition in Las Vegas. They returned to Hong Kong by taking a flight of Cathay Pacific (flight no. CX881) in the morning of June 5. She sat in row 18 of the flight.
The woman and her four colleagues took an airport bus to her office in North Point. She returned home in Hong Yat Court, Lam Tin by bus afterwards.
DH's investigation showed that the woman had onset of cough and runny nose on June 2. She stayed at home all day on June 6 and consulted a nearby private doctor in the morning of June 7. Accompanied by their mother, her brother drove her to the Accident and Emergency Department of Kwong Wah Hospital in the evening of the same day. She was admitted for isolation.
Her family members and colleagues are asymptomatic.
The second case involved a 28-year-old woman. She and four colleagues travelled to Los Angeles on May 28 to attend the same exhibition participated by the patient of the first case.
They returned to Hong Kong by taking a flight of Cathay Pacific (flight no. CX883) in the morning of June 5. She sat in row 60 of the flight.
The woman took an airbus and Mass Transit Railway to her home in Sunshine City, Ma On Shan.
She developed fever in the morning of June 6 and stayed at home for the whole day. She visited a friend on the next day and attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH) later that evening. She was admitted for isolation.
Her home contact is asymptomatic.
The third case involved a 19-year-old man studying in the same institute in Switzerland which was attended by another confirmed patient reported on June 6. He returned to Hong Kong from Zurich by taking a flight of Swiss International Air Lines (flight no. LX138) on June 7. He sat in row 23 and wore a face mask during the journey.
He declared to have fever at the airport and was referred to Princess Margaret Hospital for isolation.
Laboratory analysis on respiratory samples taken from the three patients yielded positive results for human swine influenza today.
DH is now tracing passengers sitting in rows 17-19 of CX881 arrived in Hong Kong on June 5, and those sitting in rows 23-26 of LX138 on June 7, and crew members who had served the affected section concerned as well as other close contacts of the patients.
Passengers who had travelled on the two flights concerned are urged to call the DH's hotline 2125 1111.
As the second patient had onset of symptoms more than 12 hours after arriving Hong Kong, the Centre for Health Protection would not trace the passengers of the flight concerned.
Investigations into the three cases are ongoing.
So far, three Hong Kong delegates who attended the same jewellery exhibition in Las Vegas were confirmed to have infected with human swine influenza.
Apart from the two confirmed cases today, a 21-year-old woman was also confirmed on June 7 to have infected with human swine influenza. She travelled from Los Angeles to Seoul on June 4 and returned to Hong Kong by taking a flight of Korean Air (flight No KE603) in the morning of June 5.
"DH had informed the organsier of the delegation about the three confirmed cases. Delegates are reminded to wear face mask for seven days after returning Hong Kong. They should seek medical advice immediately if they developed respiratory symptoms," the spokesman said.
He added that DH had provided health advice to the delegation before they left for the exhibition.
Meanwhile, the spokesman appealed to the members of the public to advise their children, relatives or friends coming to Hong Kong from abroad to defer their trips if they developed symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat.
"To protect their own health and that of other travellers, they should seek medical attention where they are.
"If they feel unwell on the plane, they should wear a face mask and inform cabin crew immediately," the spokesman said.
Ends/Monday, June 8, 2009
Issued at HKT 21:52
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