The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is (August 25) monitoring a notification from the National Health and Family Planning Commission that two additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) were recorded from August 18 to 24 in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and strongly urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.

Two male patients in Urumqi aged 73 and 74 respectively had onset on August 7 and were admitted to hospital for severe pneumonia. The former was known to have had exposure to a live poultry market.

Travellers to the Mainland or other affected areas must avoid visiting wet markets, live poultry markets or farms. They should be alert to the presence of backyard poultry when visiting relatives and friends. They should also avoid purchasing live or freshly slaughtered poultry, and avoid touching poultry/birds or their droppings. They should strictly observe personal and hand hygiene when visiting any place with live poultry.