More than 60 health officials and medical personnel from Hong Kong, the Mainland and Macau have participated in a joint exercise to test their co-operation in handling a cross-boundary avian flu outbreak involving human cases.

Today's exercise saw a mock scenario in which a 48-year-old man and his 13-year-old daughter living in Hong Kong were infected after visiting his wife on the Mainland. She was also confirmed to be infected.

The Hong Kong Government activated its "serious response level" and notified Mainland and Macau counterparts. Health authorities of the three places initiated countermeasures and the situation was brought under control with no new cases detected.

Good test

Secretary for Food & Health Dr York Chow said the exercise provided a valuable opportunity to test communication channels, modes of joint operation and collaboration among health authorities in the three places during a public health emergency.

"Participants can review their joint response actions via video-conference in respective command and control centres," he said.

"Timely notification of human avian influenza cases and collaboration for disease prevention and control among the three places are of utmost importance. The exercise will further strengthen collaboration and communication of the three places in emergency preparedness and response for public health crisis."