Sunday, June 18, 2006
Hospital Authority activates Enhanced Surveillance Program (bird flu H5N1 related)
Hong Kong: In view of a human case of avian influenza H5N1 in Shenzhen, the Hospital Authority (HA) started the three-week Enhanced Surveillance Program on June 15.
Public hospitals should report to the Authority’s e-Flu system all patients fulfilling the case definition of having pneumonia (all types) of unidentified etiology and who had travelled in the seven days before the onset of symptoms, to affected areas/countries with confirmed human cases of avian influenza infection in the past six months.
HA today (June 17) received reports of five cases (four male, 1 female, aged 1 to 81). So far, a total of 33 cases (20 male, 13 female, aged seven months to 89 years) have been received. These patients have visited Guangdong and Hubei before the onset of symptoms. The HA has reported the cases to the Center for Health Protection. Public hospitals are providing rapid tests for these patients.