Just two days ago, the Hong Kong health officials reported its first case of H7N9 or bird flu on humans. Now here comes the second case after an 80-year-old man was found to have acquired the virus as well.
According to ABC News, the Hong Kong Health Department has confirmed the second bird flu case on Friday. The patient is being treated for a chronic illness in which has progressed as a bird flu strain. He is still confined in Tuen Muen Hospital and is being monitored closely.
The patient lived in Shenzhen, China near the border of Hong Kong. This is the same area where the first case, an Indonesian maid, caught the virus after buying a live chicken. The second patient went to Hong Kong for treatment on Wednesday unaware that he had contracted the virus. Health officials are now looking for people whom he may had contact with on his way to the hospital.
On Monday, Hong Kong authorities had already raised the case on “serious” level to implement stricter monitoring on the border of the country and Shenzhen. They are also limiting entry of travelers in the border including the entry hours.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported that the government plans to transfer the second patient to Princess Margaret Hospital after showing signs of recovery. It is necessary to isolate him to ensure that the virus will not spread until he is fully cleared. They have also checked the family members of the patient even if they don’t show any symptoms of bird flu.
China is also monitoring their locals because of the bird flu outbreak. On Friday, the Chinese health officials confirmed another H7N9 case acquired by a 30-year-old man in the eastern province of Zhejiang.
The Hong Kong Center for Health Protection has also warned travelers to avoid going to live poultry markets and voluntarily report their travel history upon return.
