Thanks to Mike Coston at Avian Flu Diary for picking up this news release from the Centre for Health Protection in Hong Kong, and adding some very helpful commentary: CHP notified by NHFPC of human fatal case of avian influenza A(H10N8) in Jiangxi. Excerpt:
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (December 17) received notification from the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) of a human fatal case of avian influenza A(H10N8) affecting a woman aged 73 in Jiangxi.
The immunocompromised patient with underlying illnesses was admitted to a local hospital on November 30 for treatment. Her clinical diagnosis was severe pneumonia and she passed away on December 6.
According to the relevant authority, the patient had visited a local live poultry market. Her home and close contacts, who are under medical surveillance, have remained asymptomatic and no abnormalities have been found so far.
"Influenza A(H10) is currently not a local statutorily notifiable infectious disease but the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the CHP is capable of detecting this virus by culture or genetic testing. No confirmed human cases have been recorded so far in Hong Kong," a spokesman for the CHP said.
The CHP will follow-up with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Mainland health authorities to obtain more information on the case.
