# 8382
Although we are seeing fewer H7N9 cases being reported out of China over the past couple of weeks we continue to see occasional cases - such as one announced today (h/t Ironorehopper on FluTrackers) from Hong Kong’s CHP – that of a 5 month-old baby girl brought to Hong Kong from Shenzhen last night by her parents, and subsequently taken to a local hospital for symptoms of fever and vomiting.
Unknown, of course, are how many mild or asymptomatic cases that might be occurring, but are not detected because they do not seek medical care or get tested.
See today’s Lancet: Community Burden & Severity Of Seasonal And Pandemic Influenza for an extended discussion of asymptomatic cases and low rates of clinical consultation for influenza and last summers’ Lancet: Clinical Severity Of Human H7N9 Infection for an estimate from researchers at the University of Hong Kong on the number of possible `undetected’ cases during the first wave.
Here is the statement from Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection.
Imported human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Hong Kong under CHP investigation
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (March 17) investigating an imported human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Hong Kong affecting a five-month-old baby girl.
The patient, who lives in Foshan, Guangdong but has been staying in Shenzhen in the past week, developed fever and vomiting yesterday (March 16). She came to Hong Kong with her parents last night and was taken to the Accident and Emergency Department of North District Hospital (NDH) by taxi for consultation. She was subsequently transferred to Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital (AHNH) by ambulance and was admitted for further management in the small hours of today.
Her nasopharyngeal aspirate tested positive for avian influenza A(H7N9) virus upon laboratory testing by the CHP's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch today.
The patient has been sent to Princess Margaret Hospital for isolation. Her current condition is stable.
The CHP's initial investigation revealed that the patient had been taken to a wet market in Shenzhen by her grandparents four to five days ago where live poultry was sold, but the patient had no direct contact with the poultry.
"The CHP's epidemiological investigations and contact tracing are on-going. Close contacts including the patient's parents and the patients who had stayed in the same cubicle with the index patient in AHNH will be admitted for testing and observation, while other contacts including relevant healthcare workers, ambulance staff, visitors, staff at Lo Wu Control Point and the taxi driver who took the patient to NDH, will also be traced for exposure assessment and medical surveillance," a spokesman for the CHP explained.
The CHP will liaise with relevant Mainland health authority to follow-up on the patient's contacts in the Mainland.
Ends/Monday, March 17, 2014
Issued at HKT 23:52
