Hong Kong boy, 10, tests positive for H7N9 avian flu virus after visit to mainland China
Pupil admitted to hospital and isolated had visited a relative’s home in Guangdong province where live chickens were kept
A 10-year-old Hong Kong boy has tested positive for H7N9 bird flu, making him the fourth such case in the city this winter, according to the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health.
Twenty-seven close contacts, who all remained asymptomatic, have been identified and will be given Tamiflu for five days.
The government has also identified 70 other contacts, with four experiencing mild symptoms. The four are healthcare employees of Princess Margaret Hospital, where the boy was sent to on Monday.
The 10-year-old pupil at Salvation Army Lam Butt Chung Memorial School in Tung Chung previously had a good health record, but he developed a fever and cough and was vomiting on Sunday, the Centre for Health Protection said.
He went to the emergency department at North Lantau Hospital before being admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital the next day.
Following his admission, his condition remained stable, and on Tuesday afternoon he was discharged. However, that evening he was re-admitted and isolated.
