Hong Kong reported its first case of H7N9 or bird flu on humans. The country has sent an alert to all other countries making airports around the world on high alert.
On Monday, an Indonesian domestic worker in Hong Kong fell seriously sick. It went to the hospital in which the doctors found that the patient has indeed contracted the disease. The Hong Kong health officials lifted the bird flu alert level to “serious.”
In Hong Kong, a "serious” level means that authorities will be implementing stricter infection controls at hospitals and will limit visitors and visitation hours, while firmly implementing proper cleaning rules at live chicken stalls in local markets.
According to health officials, the 36-year old house help may have acquired the virus when she cross the mainland border to Shenzen, China where she bought a live chicken and cooked it for a meal.
Dr. Ko Wing-man, Hong Kong's secretary for food and health, told SMH that the unidentified H7N9 patient is “now in critical condition at Queen Mary Hospital,” and that her whole household – two adults and two kids -- where she was working are now under quarantine at the same hospital because they showed possible signs and symptoms of bird flu.
According to the website of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “most human infections (by H7N9) are believed to have occurred after exposure to infected poultry or contaminated environments.”
Since the disease’s first reported case in China last April 1, 2012, there has already been 135 reported cases, and 44 of those died – all in China.
However, the disease’s spread to Hong Kong is distressing because the region is an international transportation hub, meaning many people visit the city.
On Tuesday, Leung Chun-ying, Hong Kong’s chief executive, announced that their city intends to improve health checks at its borders to screen people entering the region for the virus to prevent the spread of the virus.
