Submitted by Dr LAU Chun Wing Arthur, Editor-in-Chief, 2100 1 May 2009

 

 

The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR, Mr Donald Tsang, announced that the first case of influenza A H1N1 (previously called swine flu) has been identified in Hong Kong.

The patient is a 25-year old male tourist from Mexico en route Shanghai, arriving at Hong Kong on a China Eastern 中國東方航空 Flight MU505 yesterday at 1 pm. He was admitted to Ruttonjee Hospital, complaining of fever and upper respiratory tract infection symptoms. He has so far been well. Laboratory test confirmation was made at 8 pm today by both the Hong Kong Department of Health and the University of Hong Kong. He has been transferred to Infectious Disease Centre of Princess Margaret Hospital for further isolation and monitoring. This Mexican man has stayed at the Metropark Hotel at the Wanchai district. The Flu Response Level of Hong Kong has now been raised from alert to emergency.

Go to useful Influenza (H1N1) links here. Click Read More for the details of this first case, and some more video clips on this matter. NEW video clips added on 3 May 2009.

 
Background of the case
 
HAHO admitted a 25-year-old patient at 19:55 on 30 April 2009 via the Accident and Emergency Department of the Ruttonjee Hospital (RH).
1.          The patient is a farmer from Mexico. He presented with muscle ache and productive cough on 28 April. Then he traveled by flight from Mexico, with transit in Shanghai, and arrived at Hong Kong on 30 April 2009 (Fight number MU 505), with his brother.
2.          He checked in at the Metropark Hotel in Wan Chai at 13:00 on 30 April. He felt increasing discomfort and then attended the AED at RH, accompanied by his brother (staying in the same hotel) and two other friends (staying in Expressed Holiday Inn in Causeway Bay).
3.          RH Staff in AED and isolated ward wore protected equipment while handling the patient.
4.          Patient’s specimen was sent to the Department of Health for polymerase chain test for Human Swine Influenza (HIS) and was positive. Treatment with Tamiflu was immediately started at 18:00 of today. Then the patient was transferred to the Infection Disease Centre (IDC) of the Princess Margaret hospital (PMH) at 19:57 for further management. His condition is stable. His brother and the two friends were also admitted to PMH for close observation.
 
Letter to all doctors from the Centre for Protection, Department of Health, on 1 May 2009
Download here.
 
Video clips from YouTube