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February 21, 2003

INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Hong Kong Officials Confirm Avian-Flu Case"

Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com) (02/21/03) P. A9; Richardson, Karen; Chang, Leslie

Hong Kong officials have confirmed that a man who died this week after visiting China's Fujian province had the avian flu virus, and that his nine-year-old son, now hospitalized, is also infected with the virus.  The disease killed six people in Hong Kong in 1997 and resulted in the slaughter of 1.4 million chickens, and now fears are rising that the virus could break out again.  According to the officials, there is no evidence that the disease was contracted in Fujian, but it is a possibility.  Hong Kong secretary for health, welfare, and food Yeoh Eng-kiong says that migratory birds could have spread the virus to Fujian.  The World Health Organization says it has offered the Chinese government assistance but has not yet received an answer, noting that it has been told that officials are investigating cases of flu and pneumonia in Fujian and Guangdong.

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