HK people urged to be guard against influenza
( 2003-12-16 16:58) (People's Daily)
Hong Kong has entered a
period that people should be on guard against influenza, a spokesman for the
Health Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Regional government
said in Hong Kong on Monday.
Health Department consultant Thomas Tsang said at a press conference here
that in the recent six years, the peak season of influenza mainly lay between
February and March, but it might come earlier this year.
Tsang said there has already been a widespread outbreak of influenza in
Europe and North America and according to previous experiences, the disease
spread promptly to Asia after it broke out in Europe and America.
Therefore, Tsang said, in this period of time, Hong Kong people should stay
alert and be prepared for the outbreak of the disease.
For the first week of December, there were a total of five influenza
detections from the Public Health Laboratory Center, and in the recent weeks,
there was only one influenza outbreak affecting eight persons reported to the
Department of Health and no indication of increase in influenza isolate
detections, according to Tsang.
Tsang said that this year, a new Fujian-like influenza disease was detected
which is similar to the Panama-like influenza disease. Both are now found in
influenza cases in Hong Kong and it is not yet known if the Fujian-like disease
will bring adverse effects to particular groups of people such as children,
Tsang added.
To prepare for the outbreak of influenza, the Hong Kong government has
already provided influenza vaccine injection for high risk people including old
people and disabled people and medical staff who work at the front line.
Meanwhile, Tsang said, the government will teach citizens the importance of
personal hygiene through education and promotion. A website has been specially
designed to provide the public with the latest information on the condition of
influenza.
|
