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Hong Kong on alert after H3N2v cases in swine and humans in the United States

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  • Hong Kong on alert after H3N2v cases in swine and humans in the United States



    New swine flu strain in US sparks concern -

    Phila Siu

    Tuesday, August 07, 2012

    The government has touched base with the World Health Organization and the US health authorities about an uptick in cases of a new strain of human swine flu in the United States.
    The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 16 people have been infected with a new strain of influenza A (H3N2) swine flu virus in the past three weeks. The new strain has not been detected locally.

    Of the US patients, 12 were infected in the last full week of July, with 10 of them in Ohio, and one each in Indiana and Hawaii. All had had direct or indirect contact with swine.

    But none needed hospitalization and there were no fatalities.

    A Department of Health spokesman said the Centre for Health Protection has contacted both the WHO and the US center to understand the latest development and their risk assessment of the situation in the United States.

    "So far this virus has not been detected in Hong Kong. We have a sensitive laboratory surveillance system for influenza and we can detect this virus if it occurs here," the spokesman said.

    In case of an outbreak, the government will implement the flu prevention and control measures according to a three-tier response level system and has also stockpiled antiviral drugs.

    [snip]

  • #2
    Re: Hong Kong on alert after H3N2v cases in swine and humans in the United States



    Kong (HKSAR) - A spokesman for the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health said today (August 17) that the Government has amended the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance (Cap. 599) to include variant influenza A (H3N2) as one of the statutorily notifiable diseases.

    The spokesman said, "Recently in the US, a significant increase in the number of variant influenza A (H3N2) cases has been reported. In order to prepare in advance for possible importations of this infection into Hong Kong and their consequences, there is public health justification to strengthen the surveillance over this type of influenza to enable effective public health preventive and control measures be implemented locally.

    It is considered necessary to amend the Ordinance to include variant influenza A (H3N2) in the list of scheduled infectious diseases, with effect from August 17, 2012."

    The amendment, which has been gazetted today, enables provisions of the Ordinance, such as medical surveillance, quarantine and isolation, to be applied as and when necessary.

    "The law amendment will make Hong Kong better prepared against the disease by facilitating early disease detection and implementation of appropriate public health measures if they are called for, depending on public health risk assessment," he added.

    Medical practitioners are required to notify the Director of Health if they have reason to suspect variant influenza A (H3N2). The CHP has sent letters to all medical practitioners to inform them of the legislative amendment and reporting criteria.

    Variant influenza A (H3N2) was first detected in the US in 2011, with a total of 12 cases reported that year. The country saw an increase in the number of infections since July this year.

    As at August 10, 2012, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had reported 166 cases, of which 153 cases were reported recently in July and early August.

    According to the CDC, most cases, presenting with signs and symptoms of influenza, were mild and self-limited. Antiviral drugs, oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza), are expected to be effective in treating variant influenza A (H3N2).

    There have been no reports of cases from other parts of the world so far.

    The CHP spokesman advised members of the public to observe good personal and environmental hygiene to prevent influenza.

    "In Hong Kong, the CHP has a sensitive laboratory surveillance system for the influenza virus," he said.

    "The CHP will continue to closely monitor the global and local influenza activity as well as genetic changes of the circulating influenza viruses in Hong Kong."


    Source: HKSAR Government

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