Hong Kong health officials report investigating another confirmed human case of of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Hong Kong, and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.
The male patient, aged 70 with underlying illnesses, claimed to have developed fever, cough with sputum, shortness of breath, vomiting and diarrhoea since December 26. He attended the Accident and Emergency Department of United Christian Hospital (UCH) on December 27 and was admitted to isolation ward on December 28.
His sputum specimen collected on December 28 was received and confirmed yesterday (December 29) to be positive for influenza A(H7N9) virus by the CHP’s Public Health Laboratory Services Branch (PHLSB). The patient is now in stable condition and has been transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital for further management.
The patient travelled to Shenzhen and Zhongshan since December 13 and returned to Hong Kong via Lo Wu on December 16. He claimed that he came across mobile stalls selling live poultry in Zhongshan.
In Hong Kong, the patient recalled having purchased a chilled chicken from a shop near a wet market in Kwun Tong on December 22 but no live poultry was sold in the shop. According to the patient, he did not enter the wet market.
The source of infection is still under investigation.
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