Bird flu returns to Hong Kong

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/gripe/aviar/regresa/Hong/Kong/elpepusoc/20101118elpepusoc_5/Tes

Bird flu returns to Hong Kong The former colony increased precautions in memory of the economic damage caused by the first outbreak and the SARS Jose Reinoso - Beijing - 18/11/2010
Bird flu has returned to Hong Kong. Health authorities in the former British colony say they have detected the first case of influenza A/H5N1 in a person since 2003. This is a woman of 59, who has tested positive after returning from a trip to mainland China. The patient was initially diagnosed with pneumonia, is hospitalized in serious condition. It is not known where he contracted the disease.
The authorities have received the news with concern, and raised the alert level on bird flu a "serious", which means that there is a risk that people become infected with the virus. York Chow, Secretary of Health of Hong Kong has launched, however, a message of reassurance to the population. "Overall, we believe the risk of spreading avian flu in Hong Kong is not significantly higher than before," said today, reports France Presse.
The former colony of the last case of bird flu in humans in 2003. Six years earlier, in 1997, was the first major outbreak occurred in people in the world. The disease then caused the deaths of six people in Hong Kong, and forced to slaughter millions of chickens, all of the territory. Hong Kong was also beaten in 2003 by the SARS (acronym in English of severe acute respiratory syndrome), which killed 774 people worldwide, of whom 299 in the former colony. The epidemic plunged the economy of Hong Kong for months.
Hence the Chinese metropolis is extremely sensitive to any outbreak of a contagious virus, and sanitary inspections has increased in the wholesale markets and tighter checks on infections in hospitals and clinics. All visitors must wear masks and wash their hands before entering public hospitals.
Chow said there was no indication at the moment that the woman admitted been infected by a virus transmitted from human to human, and that the investigation is focusing on the chickens as a source of infection. The woman traveled to China between October 23 and November 1 spent with her husband and daughter. The husband, 60, also experienced symptoms of fever, but has recovered.
Ever since the outbreak of H5N1 in 2003, 507 cases have been recorded worldwide, of which 302 were fatal, according to the latest report on the World Health Organization (WHO), published Oct. 18 . The largest number of infected and deceased has occurred in Indonesia (170 and 141, respectively), Vietnam (119 -59) and Egypt (112-36).