Five people were tested positive for the A/H1N1 influenza virus in Hong Kong on Sunday, taking the number of confirmed cases of the disease in the city to 38, local health authorities announced here.

The first newly confirmed case involved a 20-year-old man studying in London. He returned to Hong Kong on June 4 by taking a flight of British Airways (flight no. BA27). He had onset of headache and fever in the evening of June 5. He sought medical attention at a private clinic on June 6 and was transferred to Queen Mary Hospital by ambulance. His home contacts are asymptomatic

The second case is a 32-year-old man who arrived in Hong Kong on June 6 from Manila by taking a flight of Dragonair (flight no. KA912). He developed fever, runny nose and cough on the flight. He declared cough in the health declaration form and was screened to have fever at the airport. He was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital by ambulance.

The third case involved a 14-year-old boy studying in San Francisco. He came to Hong Kong with two elder sisters by a flight of Cathy Pacific (flight no. CX 873) and arrived on Sunday morning. He declared to have sore throat in the health declaration form. He was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

The fourth case involved a 21-year-old woman who traveled from Los Angeles to Seoul on June 4. She traveled from Seoul to Hong Kong by taking a flight of Korean Airline (flight no KE603) in the morning of June 5. She sat in row 48 of the flight.

She had onset of cough in the late evening of the same day and sore throat in the morning of June 6. As she felt myalgia and worsening cough later, she left her office and sought medical consultation at a private clinic by taxi. She was advised by the private doctor to go to hospital.

The woman, accompanied by her mother, went to Queen Elizabeth Hospital by taxi. She was admitted for isolation.

Her mother is currently asymptomatic.

The fifth case involved a 23-year-old woman. She stayed in Manila since February this year. She developed cough and fever on May 31. Her symptoms improved after taking self medication. She and a friend arrived in Hong Kong on Sunday by taking a flight of CEBU Pacific (flight 5J108). She sat in row 20.

Upon arrival, she declared cough on the health declaration form and was referred by Port Health Office to the hospital for isolation.

Her friend also had some respiratory symptoms on May 31 and recovered before traveling to Hong Kong.

Laboratory analysis on respiratory samples taken from the five patients yielded positive results for the A/H1N1 influenza on Sunday.

Hong Kong Department of Health is now tracing passengers sitting in rows 22-27 of KA912 arrived in Hong Kong on June 6, those sitting in rows 56-62 of CX873 arrived in Hong Kong on June 7, those sitting in rows 45-51 of KE603 arrived in Hong Kong on June 5, and those sitting on rows 17-23 of 5J108 arrived in Hong Kong on June 7, and crew members of the flights concerned who had served the affected sections of the cabins concerned as well as other close contact of the five patients, said a spokesman of Department of Health

The spokesman said as the first patient had onset of symptoms more than 12 hours after arriving Hong Kong, the Center for Health Protection would not trace the passengers of the flight concerned.

Investigations into the five cases are ongoing.

(Xinhua News Agency June 8, 2009)