Boy contracted Bird Flu
HONG KONG – A two-year-old boy in Hong Kong has been confirmed as having contracted the Avian Influenza A (H5N1) virus. The boy is currently receiving isolation treatment at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) and his condition is reported to be serious but stable.
Investigations by the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health revealed that the boy had traveled to Anhui province in China with parents from May 20 to 22, during which he had no direct poultry contact.
He had visited a wet market with live poultry near his residence in Guangzhou in mid-May.
The CHP tracked the boy’s exposure history during the incubation period to around 80 people at a private medical clinic in Mong Kok, the ambulance he was transported in, and the Caritas Medical Center (CMC). Among those tested for the virus were two healthcare workers from CMC, and all tested negative for the virus.
Since June 1, the serious response level under the Hong Kong Government’s Preparedness Plan for influenza pandemic was activated.
The CHP advises all members of the public to seek medical consultation promptly if they develop influenza-like illness. It advises against all forms of direct contact with poultry and birds, and if contact have been made, to wash one’s hands thoroughly with soap and water
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