By Channel NewsAsia's Hong Kong Correspondent Leslie Tang | Posted: 18 May 2009 1908 hrs
People wearing masks in Hong Kong
HONG KONG : Hong Kong health officials are expecting to see H1N1 cases spread domestically.
As of now, all three cases in the territory have come from the US and Mexico. This has led the Hong Kong Health Minister to call on the US to be more stringent in screening travellers leaving its shores.
The third confirmed patient in Hong Kong remains in stable condition at Princess Margaret Hospital.
The 23-year-old man flew in from New York on Cathay Pacific flight CX831 over the weekend.
He was stopped after infrared temperature screeners at the Hong Kong International Airport picked up that he had a fever. He also indicated he had a cough on his health declaration form.
The patient was already ill when he boarded the plane, and developed the fever during the flight.
Health officials on Monday said Hong Kong is likely to have an outbreak of domestic cases on its hands.
They met with members of the Chinese medicine sector to discuss how to combat the situation.
"There will probably be a local epidemic, just as Japan has faced. So I have asked and appealed to them (Chinese medicine sector), and they have unanimously agreed to support, should Hong Kong have a local transmission. They stand ready at the frontline as primary caregivers to help assist in the control and mitigation of the impact of the pandemic," said Hong Kong Health Undersecretary Gabriel Leung.
Hong Kong's latest confirmed H1N1 case comes less than a week after its second. That case was also imported from the US, sparking health officials to call on the US to do more.
Hong Kong's Health Secretary York Chow is attending a meeting of the World Health Organisation in Geneva on Monday. He plans to push for the US to screen outgoing passengers, to avoid spreading the virus to other countries. - CNA /ls
As of now, all three cases in the territory have come from the US and Mexico. This has led the Hong Kong Health Minister to call on the US to be more stringent in screening travellers leaving its shores.
The third confirmed patient in Hong Kong remains in stable condition at Princess Margaret Hospital.
The 23-year-old man flew in from New York on Cathay Pacific flight CX831 over the weekend.
He was stopped after infrared temperature screeners at the Hong Kong International Airport picked up that he had a fever. He also indicated he had a cough on his health declaration form.
The patient was already ill when he boarded the plane, and developed the fever during the flight.
Health officials on Monday said Hong Kong is likely to have an outbreak of domestic cases on its hands.
They met with members of the Chinese medicine sector to discuss how to combat the situation.
"There will probably be a local epidemic, just as Japan has faced. So I have asked and appealed to them (Chinese medicine sector), and they have unanimously agreed to support, should Hong Kong have a local transmission. They stand ready at the frontline as primary caregivers to help assist in the control and mitigation of the impact of the pandemic," said Hong Kong Health Undersecretary Gabriel Leung.
Hong Kong's latest confirmed H1N1 case comes less than a week after its second. That case was also imported from the US, sparking health officials to call on the US to do more.
Hong Kong's Health Secretary York Chow is attending a meeting of the World Health Organisation in Geneva on Monday. He plans to push for the US to screen outgoing passengers, to avoid spreading the virus to other countries. - CNA /ls
From ChannelNewsAsia.com; see the source article here.
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