HONG KONG: A 23-year-old University of Hong Kong student is reported in serious condition in a Hong Kong hospital suffering from the A (H1N1) flu virus, the Centre for Health Protection said yesterday. The young woman is neither overweight, nor is she suffering from chronic illness, two pre-existing conditions known to exacerbate the effects of the flu virus.

The student, living in Sha Tin, had an onset of flu symptoms including fever on July 8 and consulted her doctor a day later.

She was admitted to Union Hospital, a private hospital, on Tuesday. Tests conducted by the hospital confirmed she was infected with human swine flu. She was transferred to Prince of Wales Hospital later.

The woman has come down with pneumonia since then, and is receiving treatment in the hospital's intensive care unit.

The student has no travel history, and members of her family show no symptoms of the virus.

Chinese University of Hong Kong Medicine and Therapeutics associate professor David Hui Shu-cheong explained that patients with chronic illness, especially respiratory disease, will be more prone to serious swine flu infection.

"The virus can cause inflammation and edema of the trachea, resulting in more serious respiratory failure," he said.

Centre for Health Protection controller Thomas Tsang said Hong Kong had six serious infections of human swine flu involving two men and four women aged between 23 and 76.

Tsang identified several risk factors that will make the human swine flu more serious. Patients suffering from chronic respiratory illness, obesity and those who smoke are more vulnerable, he said. Patients who delayed treatment also face higher risk.

But the university student does not possess any of those risk factors, Tsang said.

A spokesman for the university said it had not been notified by the hospital about the student's condition.

But the university is willing to trace the contacts of the student and provide assistance, the spokesman said.

Tsang said the ratio of serious cases to the total number of human swine flu patients in Hong Kong is not abnormal.

He added that the stockpile of medicines between Tamiflu and Relenza is 9:1, and the authority is purchasing more doses of anti-flu drugs.

(HK Edition 07/17/2009 page1)