The public need not panic after a nine-year-old boy contracted the H5N1 virus after visiting his relatives in Fujian recently, the Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food says.

Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong stressed that the Government would step up liaison with Mainland authorities on ways to reduce the risk of the outbreak of infectious deseases.

"We are really working very closely with Beijing and the Director of Health has also been in contact with the World Health Organisation, who have already been in contact with Beijing."

The boy's eight-year-old sister developed penumonia and died in Fujian, and his father died after returning to Hong Kong.

Department of Health confirmed this afternoon that the 33-year-old father, who died in Princess Margaret Hospital on February 17, had been infected with influenza A H5N1 virus.

A nasopharyngeal aspirate taken from him was tested positive for influenza (H5N1) by the Government Virus Unit.

The boy's relatives in Fujian and hospital staff who cared for his sister have not contracted similar diseases, Dr Yeoh stressed. The boy's condition is stable.

He said preliminary investigations suggest that the boy's infection was acquired directly from domestic chickens that his relatives were rearing in their Fujian home.

Genetic sequencing tests of the boy's virus show no evidence that it had incorporated any human genes, "so that the human-to-human spread of infection is unlikely to be efficient," Dr Yeoh said.

"There is certainly no need for anyone to be alarmed at this stage," he added."In Hong Kong, we have a very good surveillance system and that is why we are able to pick up many of these infections very early on. There is no suggestion that we have avian flu in any of the other pneumonias that we have in our public (hospital) system but we have stepped up our surveillance system."

Good personal hygiene is key to preventing the spread of the avian flu from birds to people. "When you are in contact or when you need to be in contact with live poultry, you must always wash your hands. So, it is a very simple preventive measure of good personal hygiene in washing your hands," Dr Yeoh said.

Meanwhile, health care staff of public hospitals will be reminded to adhere to clinical guidelines when managing and treating patients with influenza.

Department of Health and the Hospital Authority will step up surveillance to ensure close monitoring and control of infectious diseases.

Public awareness of the prevention of influenza will be enhanced through exhibitions, the mass media as well as public health talks. 

In addition, the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department will step up its market inspections and closely monitor poulty imports into Hong Kong.

The department will also meet poultry retailer representatives to discuss hygienic conditions in markets.