(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-12-03 17:10

More than 60 public health officials and medical personnel took part in the exercise. Participating organizations included the Food and Health Bureau, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority in Hong Kong, the Ministry of Health in Beijing, the Jiangsu province Health Department and the Health Bureau of Macao.

The scenario of Monday's exercise unfolded when a 17-year-old girl living in east China's Jiangsu province was confirmed to have been infected with avian influenza virus after visiting a local poultry market with her mother, brother and uncle. Her mother and brother also developed influenza symptoms while her uncle had arrived in Hong Kong via Macao.

The Ministry of Health promptly notified the Center for Health Protection in Hong Kong and the Health Bureau of Macao of the case.

In order to control and prevent the spread of the disease, the health authorities of the three places immediately swung into action.

In Hong Kong, the Department of Health promptly located the girl's uncle who had developed symptoms of influenza upon arrival in Hong Kong. The man was taken to an isolation ward of the Health Authority's Infectious Disease Center for treatment. A nasal swab taken from him subsequently tested positive for the deadly H5N1 influenza virus strain.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government activated the "Serious Response Level" and the Health Authority activated the corresponding contingency measures.

After epidemiological investigation and contact tracing, the Department of Health in Hong Kong found 22 people who had had contact with the man while he traveled and stayed in Hong Kong. All of them were taken to a holiday village for quarantine and were put under medical surveillance.

At the same time, Hong Kong and Macao authorities received notification from the Chinese mainland that the index patient's mother was confirmed to have been infected with avian influenza virus.

The exercise ended when the participants exchanged information on their respective actions and the latest situation in the three places and the situation was subsequently brought under control.

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