Health authorities of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao
held a joint communication exercise Monday shortly after a man in
east China's Jiangsu Province died of avian flu on Sunday.
The exercise was to test their cooperation and coordination in
mounting an emergency response in the event of a cross-border
incident of avian flu involving human cases.
The Secretary for Food and Health Dr. York Chow, who led Hong
Kong's team in the exercise, said the joint exercise was a valuable
opportunity for the three places to review their response actions
via video-conference in respective command and control centers.
"The exercise has further bolstered collaboration and
communication among the three places in emergency preparedness and
response for public health crisis," Chow said, adding "the
importance of timely notification and collaboration for the
prevention of avian influenza and pandemic influenza was
highlighted."
The Director of Health, Dr. P Y Lam, said that the Department of
Health would strengthen its work with health authorities on the
Chinese mainland and in Macao in the prevention of infectious
diseases.
It was the second joint exercise organized under the Cooperation
Agreement on Response Mechanism for Public Health Emergencies
signed by the three places in 2005.
Code-named "Great Wall 2007", the exercise was based on a
scenario in which several members of a family on the Chinese
mainland had been infected with avian flu during a visit to a
poultry market and one of them had traveled by public transport to
Hong Kong via Macao before symptoms emerged.
During the exercise, emergency responses set out in preparedness
plans were tested, including the notification of counterparts in
the three places, epidemiological investigation of the affected
patients, contact tracing and medical surveillance for probable
cases.
More than 60 public health officials and medical personnel took
part in the exercise. Participating organizations included the Food
and Health Bureau, the Department of Health and the Hospital
Authority in Hong Kong, the Ministry of Health in Beijing, the
Jiangsu province Health Department and the Health Bureau of
Macao.
The scenario of Monday's exercise unfolded when a 17-year-old
girl living in east China's Jiangsu province was confirmed to have
been infected with avian influenza virus after visiting a local
poultry market with her mother, brother and uncle. Her mother and
brother also developed influenza symptoms while her uncle had
arrived in Hong Kong via Macao.
The Ministry of Health promptly notified the Center for Health
Protection in Hong Kong and the Health Bureau of Macao of the
case.
In order to control and prevent the spread of the disease, the
health authorities of the three places immediately swung into
action.
In Hong Kong, the Department of Health promptly located the
girl's uncle who had developed symptoms of influenza upon arrival
in Hong Kong. The man was taken to an isolation ward of the Health
Authority's Infectious Disease Center for treatment. A nasal swab
taken from him subsequently tested positive for the deadly H5N1
influenza virus strain.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government activated
the "Serious Response Level" and the Health Authority activated the
corresponding contingency measures.
After epidemiological investigation and contact tracing, the
Department of Health in Hong Kong found 22 people who had had
contact with the man while he traveled and stayed in Hong Kong. All
of them were taken to a holiday village for quarantine and were put
under medical surveillance.
At the same time, Hong Kong and Macao authorities received
notification from the Chinese mainland that the index patient's
mother was confirmed to have been infected with avian influenza
virus.
The exercise ended when the participants exchanged information
on their respective actions and the latest situation in the three
places and the situation was subsequently brought under
control.
(Xinhua News Agency December 3, 2007)
