Hong Kong’s second death from bird flu of the season confirmed

City authorities today confirmed that a man had died from the H7N9 strain of bird flu, marking the city’s second avian influenza fatality of the season.

The patient, a 62-year-old man with underlying illnesses, had developed symptoms on Sunday, whilst travelling in the Guangdong province of mainland China, according to the Centre for Health Protection (CHP). He had left Hong Kong for Guangzhou on Dec. 15, before he was admitted to a hospital in the neighbouring city of Dongguan on Monday with a fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

Against medical advice, the patient discharged himself on Tuesday and returned to Hong Kong via the Lo Wu Border Control Point on the same day. He was admitted to Yan Chai Hospital for treatment on Wednesday, and was transferred to the intensive care unit yesterday after his condition deteriorated. 

Tests run by the CHP last night confirmed that the patient was positive for influenza A(H7N9) virus. At the time of writing, how the 62-year-old contracted the virus is unclear, as he reportedly denied visiting poultry or wet markets recently. His close contacts have remained asymptomatic so far and have been put under medical surveillance. 

So far, three cases of avian flu A(H7N9) have been confirmed in Hong Kong in the past three weeks. All three affected men between the ages of 62 to 75, who suffered from underlying illnesses, and had recently travelled to southern provinces in mainland China. The first patient, who was confirmed to have the virus on Dec. 19, died on Dec. 25. Five days later, a 70-year-old man, who had reportedly come into contact with live poultry stalls in Zhongshan, was also confirmed to have H7N9. He has been in isolation since Dec. 28.

Meanwhile, the CHP is closely monitoring 14 additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Guangdong, including three cases in Guangzhou, three in Jiangmen, two in Jieyang, two in Shenzhen, two in Zhaoqing, one in Dongguan, and one in Zhongshan.

A spokesperson for the Centre said in a statement that the “activity” of avian flu viruses is expected to rise in the winter, and warned the public against touching birds, poultry, or their droppings.

Those who are travelling abroad should avoid visiting poultry markets or farms during their holidays, especially during Christmas and New Year. If you feel unwell and display flu symptoms such as a fever or cough, wear a mask and seek medical advice immediately.  

For more information, visit the CHP’s avian influenza page.

 


Got a tip? Send it to us at hongkong@coconuts.co


 



Reader Interactions

Leave A Reply


BECOME A COCO+ MEMBER

Support local news and join a community of like-minded
“Coconauts” across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Join Now
Coconuts TV
Our latest and greatest original videos
Subscribe on