The Centre for Health Protection has confirmed Hong Kong's fifth and sixth imported human swine flu case, involving a 20-year-old woman who flew in from New York and 53-year-old Mainland man who flew in from San Francisco yesterday.

The 20-year-old woman, who studies in New York, developed symptoms on May 19. She sat in seat 31K of flight CX831 and failed the temperature check upon arrival at the Hong Kong airport. She was sent to Princess Margaret Hospital by ambulance and is now stable.

The Mainland man sat in seat 50H of flight UA869 and developed symptoms when he was on the flight. He did not pass the temperature check and was sent to Princess Margaret Hospital immediately. He is in stable condition.

Follow up actions

The centre will trace passengers who sat in the nearest seven rows to the two patients. Passengers who had been on the same flights with the patients should call 2125 1111.

Centre Controller Dr Thomas Tsang called on parents to advise their children studying overseas and having influenza symptoms or fever not to take a plane until they have recovered.

The centre will ask airline companies to enhance publicity and education on the flights, reminding passengers with symptoms not to get on the plane. Those who feel unwell on a plane should wear a face mask and inform the cabin crew to facilitate appropriate arrangements.

Contact tracing

Meanwhile, parents of a 19-year-old woman who is confirmed to have been infected with human swine flu, and two cosmetic shop staff who had served her, tested negative for the virus, the Department of Health says.

The centre has located two more passengers who arrived in Hong Kong on May 18 from New York on the same flight (CX831) as the 19-year-old patient.

They sat close to another confirmed human swine flu patient, an Australian doctor, who was found by the Taiwanese health authority earlier. 

They were located in a local hotel and in Taiwan. The one in Hong Kong has no flu symptoms and has been given disease-prevention medicine and put under medical surveillance.