Man and grandson die from virus picked up by relatives in Japan

A 10-year-old boy and his grandfather have died after contracting Panama flu from family members who picked up the virus on a holiday in Japan.

The man, 77, and his grandson, who lived in Sha Tin, were admitted to Prince of Wales Hospital in a critical condition on January 6 and died the next day.

'It is a common occurrence for people to die from influenza when they develop secondary infections,' said Chinese University's professor of microbiology, John Tam Siu-lun.

Hospital tests established that the flu strain was H3N2 Panama virus, which has caused flu outbreaks worldwide in the past two years, Professor Tam said.

The grandfather - who had a chronic lung ailment and had suffered a stroke - had pneumonia. The boy - who suffered asthma - had septicaemia. Both secondary infections were caused by the bacteria Streptococcus.

The man's wife, who is in her 70s, and her two other grandchildren, aged three and six, were also admitted to Prince of Wales Hospital and recovered, a spokesman from the Department of Health said.