The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) and the Hospital Authority (HA) are closely monitoring the situation of seasonal influenza in Hong Kong and will spare no effort in preventing and controlling outbreaks in the community.
Speaking at a media briefing today (March 6), the Controller of CHP, Dr Thomas Tsang, said that CHP's surveillance systems indicated an increased influenza activity in recent weeks indicating Hong Kong is now in the traditional winter influenza season.
Dr Tsang said the magnitude and pattern of the present influenza season was similar to influenza seasons in the past few years, based on currently available data.
During the week ending March 1, 2008 , CHP's laboratory surveillance system recorded 166 influenza virus detections, including 50 influenza A (H1N1) viruses, 19 influenza A (H3N2) viruses and 97 influenza B viruses. This compared with an average of 144 and 177 influenza virus detections per week during the peak of winter influenza seasons in 2006 and 2007 respectively.
This year, circulating influenza viruses showed a mixed composition, with A/H3N2/Brisbane, A/H1N1/Solomon Islands, A/H1N1/Brisbane and B/Yamagata and B/Malaysia. These influenza viruses have also appeared in different countries recently.
According to CHP's sentinel surveillance networks, private doctors and government out-patients clinics (GOPC) detected an increasing influenza-like illness ( ILI ) activity in the community.
During the week ending March 1, 2008 , consultation rates for ILI in private doctors and GOPC were 57.5 and 8.9 per 1000 consultations respectively. These ILI rates are comparable with those of previous years during the seasonal peak.
The Government has launched the Influenza Vaccination Programme (GVIP) in November last year. So far a record number of over 275 000 doses of flu vaccines have been administered to eligible target groups. The Programme will last as long as the vaccine stock lasts and eligible persons are urged to receive vaccination as soon as possible.
Dr Tsang said letters had earlier been sent to schools, elderly homes and other institutions before the arrival of the influenza season as well as recently alerting them of seasonal influenza and providing important health advice. The CHP has also been publishing a weekly bulletin on its website to update the public of the latest seasonal flu situation (www.chp.gov.hk).
In order that members of the community are kept better informed, the CHP will further enhance publicity and education on seasonal flu in the coming weeks.
"For the rest of this influenza season, we shall update the public daily on the number of influenza outbreaks in the community.
"Moreover, more health talks for schools and other child institutions will be delivered in the coming weeks. We will also enhance publicity on television and radio through Announcements of Public Interest.," Dr Tsang said.
Speaking at the same occasion, HA's Chief Manager (Infection, Emergency & Contingency), Dr Liu Shao-haei,said that infection control measures at clinical areas of public hospitals will be further enhanced.
" Patients attending Accident and Emergency Departments (AEDs) and clinics should wear surgical masks if they have respiratory symptoms. Surgical masks will be provided free at AEDs and clinics to these patients and their accompanying persons. Visitors are also advised to perform hand hygiene before leaving wards, clinics and day centers either by washing hands with soap or alcohol-based hand rub, " he said.
Dr Liu added that under the current influenza season, for reason of enhancing infection control measures, visiting hours to acute wards of public hospitals would be further restricted to two hours per day and there should not be more than two visitors at any one time. Hospitals will promulgate the new visiting hours to the acute wards before implementation on March10 (Monday). Visiting hours to convalescent wards remain at six hours per day for the time being.
" HA will continue the surveillance for epidemiology link for patients attending AED and GOPC with fever. Furthermore, we will also closely monitor the daily hospital occupancy rate, attendance and admission cases at AEDs in order to activate contingency measures to postpone non-urgent procedures and reduce elective hospitalisations if necessary," Dr Liu said.
Members of the public are urged to build up good body immunity by having a proper diet, regular exercise, and adequate rest, reducing stress and avoiding smoking.
Children, elderly people and those with chronic diseases should consult their doctors for medical advice promptly and take more rest at home if they have influenza-like symptoms.
To prevent influenza, people are also advised to
More information on the preventive tips against influenza is available in CHP's website.
Ends/Thursday, March 6, 2008