2nd Human Bird Flu Case in HK

Hong Kong on Friday confirmed its second human case of bird flu this season, days after an elderly man died of the virus. A 70-year-old man, who had travelled to the Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Zhongshan earlier in December, tested positive for the H7N9 strain of the virus, the government said in a statement. He said he had come across mobile stalls selling live poultry in Zhongshan, but authorities said they were still investigating the source of the infection, AFP reported. The patient has been hospitalized in stable condition. Those who have been in close contact with him have been put under medical surveillance although none has yet reported any symptoms. Cases of bird flu were “expected to increase in winter based on its seasonal pattern”, the government statement added. Another elderly man, who had bought a chicken from a market in Guangdong Province, died on Sunday, less than a week after testing positive for H7N9. Hong Kong is particularly alert to the spread of viruses.