Flu link confirmed in boy's death, says expert panel
An expert panel's initial investigation into the deaths of three children with flu-like symptoms that led to the citywide closure of schools has confirmed a 'close link' between one of the fatalities and the flu virus.
Law Ho-ming, seven, died on March 11 with acute inflammation of the brain, said Thomas Tsang Ho-fai, controller of the Centre for Health Protection.
'We believe that his death has a close relationship with the flu,' Dr Tsang said. The panel was conducting more examinations and details would be revealed soon, he said.
The panel is investigating the death of Ho-ming, three-year-old Ho Po-yi, who died on March 1, and a 21-month-old boy who died on February 24. Doctors earlier ruled out flu as the cause of death in a fourth child, Or Ho-yeung, 2, who died on February 26. The panel is not investigating that death.
Yuen Kwok-yung, who is head of the panel and professor of microbiology at the University of Hong Kong, said two weeks ago that Ho-ming had an antibody response against the H3 virus: he probably had an H3 infection at first, then was later infected by the H1 flu virus.
Professor Yuen said the H1 virus caused a severe inflammatory response that might have led to acute inflammation of the brain. Ho-ming had received steroid treatment for asthma, which may have suppressed his immune system and made him predisposed to H1N1 infection, contributing to his death, he said.
But Ho-ming's father, Law Yuen, said yesterday his son had no medical history of asthma. 'I am quite surprised when I read reports in newspapers saying that my son had asthma. We took him to see the same doctor whenever he felt unwell, but the doctor never told us my son suffered from asthma. I really don't understand why the expert panel said that,' he said. No one had informed him about the progress of the inquiry, nor had Tuen Mun Hospital contacted him about any developments, he said.
'The hospital only told us it would take months to find out the cause of death,' Mr Law said, adding that a funeral service would be held for Ho-ming on April 2. He will be buried in Cheung Sha Wan cemetery.
As for the two remaining cases, Dr Tsang said flu was apparently not the cause of the death of Po-yi, and there was no evidence of any viral infection in the death of the 21-month-old boy.
'As for the three-year-old girl, we found the flu virus in her body. But it might not be the cause of death,' Dr Tsang said. Professor Yuen had said earlier that Po-yi might have had a metabolic defect that increased the severity of the infection.
