First H1N1 Case Confirmed in Hong Kong

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Daniel McAtee at 202-238-6360
Melissa Ng /David Hsieh at 212-752-3320
Wing Yan Tong at 415-835-9315

May 1, 2009 - Chief Executive Donald Tsang said Hong Kong's response level had been raised from "serious" to "emergency" as the first confirmed case of Influenza A (H1N1) – previously known as "swine flu" – had been found in the city.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Tsang reported that a 25-year-old man traveled from Mexico to Hong Kong through Shanghai yesterday. The patient developed symptoms hours after his arrival in the city and sought medical treatment at Ruttonjee Hospital.

An emergency ward doctor suspected the man may have had the virus, and immediately sent him to an isolation ward. Initial test results indicated it was a suspected Influenza A (H1N1) case. Further investigations by the University of Hong Kong confirmed it as the city's first case.

The patient is stable and is being isolated in hospital. The 173-room Metropark Hotel in Wan Chai where the patient had stayed before seeking treatment has been quarantined.

The Chief Executive will chair a steering committee to determine ways to stem the virus's spread.

Hong Kong officials have alerted the World Health Organization, the Health Bureau of Shanghai Municipality and informed the Consul General of Mexico regarding the case.

The Hong Kong government has adopted a three-level response system as part of its preparedness plan for influenza pandemic: Alert Response Level, Serious Response Level and Emergency Response Level. These levels are based on different risk-graded epidemiological scenarios relevant to Hong Kong, and each of them prescribes a given set of public health actions required. They are designed to match with the World Health Organization's guidelines for pandemic influenza planning.

A daily update on Influenza A (H1N1) in humans and the Hong Kong government's coordinated response is available on the Centre for Health Protection's Web site at www.chp.gov.hk.