A 68-year-old woman is in critical condition with H7N9 bird flu in Tuen Mun Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.

According to the patient’s family members, she had travelled to Longgang district in Shenzhen on December 13  with two friends and had eaten chicken at a friend’s home, but she had not been to any market selling live poultry.

She fell ill on December 19 and was admitted to the hospital on December 25.

Secretary for Food & Health Dr Ko Wing-man said the case has been classified as an imported one, and the Centre for Health Protection will investigate the source of infection and trace the patient’s contacts, including the friends with whom she travelled to Longgang district.

He said the response level under the Preparedness Plan for Influenza Pandemic has been raised from alert to serious, and the Mainland authorities have been informed of the case.