Ten-year-old boy in critical condition with severe flu as Hong Kong records 22 serious child cases
A 10-year-old boy is in critical condition after contracting severe influenza A with shock. Hong Kong's health authorities report 22 serious flu cases among children since late June and nearly 350 school outbreaks since September, urging vaccination and vigilance.
A 10-year-old boy is in hospital in serious condition after contracting severe influenza A, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) has reported.
The patient, previously in good health, developed fever, cough, runny nose and dizziness on 2 October. Two days later he was taken to the accident and emergency department of Queen Mary Hospital and admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit the same day. A respiratory specimen tested positive for influenza A virus, and he was clinically diagnosed with influenza A complicated by shock.
Preliminary investigations indicate the boy had not travelled abroad during the incubation period and had not received a flu vaccine. One of his household contacts recently developed mild fever and upper respiratory symptoms but has since recovered. The CHP is continuing its investigation.
The CHP said the latest surveillance data shows overall influenza activity in Hong Kong remains at a high level. Since late June this year, a cumulative total of 22 severe influenza cases among children have been recorded. With widespread community transmission in recent months, the number of infections and severe cases has increased significantly, the centre said, urging members of the public to get vaccinated against influenza promptly and to maintain personal and environmental hygiene at all times.
Since schools reopened in September, the CHP has recorded nearly 350 reports of influenza-like illness outbreaks at schools, affecting more than 2,000 people. The centre called on schools and parents to remain vigilant and take preventive measures.