Six-month-old diagnosed with Influenza A in serious condition complicated with severe pneumonia and septic shock

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) reported on Tuesday a serious case of influenza A involving a six-month-old baby girl.

The infant developed a fever on November 29 and was brought to the Accident and Emergency Department of North District Hospital on the same day .

She was admitted to Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital for treatment where her condition later deteriorated, and was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Princess Margaret Hospital.

Her nasopharyngeal swab tested positive for influenza A. The clinical diagnosis is influenza A infection complicated with severe pneumonia and septic shock.

She had yet to receive this season’s influenza vaccination and had no travel history during the incubation period.

Two household contacts recently developed mild respiratory symptoms and did not require hospitalization.

Including this case, a total of 24 severe pediatric influenza cases have been recorded this summer, including three deaths. The patients range in age from six months to 17 years.

The center also noted that of the 15 cases recorded since the launch of this season’s influenza vaccination program, only one patient had received this season’s flu vaccine within the four days prior to onset.

Albert Au Ka-wing, head of the CHP’s Communicable Disease Branch urged that all persons aged six months or above, except those with known contraindications, who have not yet received the seasonal influenza vaccine should get vaccinated as soon as possible.

“Compared with the winter influenza season early this year, there have been more severe seasonal influenza cases among children this season, and at present, vaccine coverage among children under 18—particularly those aged six months to under two years—remains relatively low at only 18 percent,” he said.

He hoped parents would promptly contact their family doctors to arrange flu vaccination for their children, themselves, and other family members.

He also reminded the public that anyone with fever and respiratory symptoms—especially children, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses—should seek medical attention early to receive timely treatment.

He advised parents to closely monitor sick children and to take them to the emergency department immediately if their condition worsens, such as rapid breathing, wheezing, bluish lips, chest pain, confusion, persistent fever, or convulsions.

He added that high-risk individuals should wear surgical masks in crowded places. Anyone with respiratory symptoms, even if mild, should wear a surgical mask, seek medical advice promptly, and consider whether to go to work or school.