THE Canadian principal of an international school in Hong Kong has died after being infected with swine flu, health authorities in the southern Chinese territory said.
A large number of Hong Kong families emigrated to Canada or sent their children to schools there in the early 1990s because of uncertainty surrounding the city’s return to Chinese rule in 1997.
Alan Dick, 55, principal of Canadian International Lower School of Hong Kong, was admitted to hospital on Sunday with severe pneumonia and a fever, the Centre for Health Protection said in a statement.
His condition deteriorated rapidly and he passed away that afternoon, the statement said. Laboratory tests confirmed that he had the influenza A(H1N1) virus.
Mr Dick, who joined the school in 1994, had been on sick leave for a week before being hospitalised.
Dave McMaster, head of Canadian International Upper and Lower School, said in a letter on the school’s website that authorities had not yet established whether Mr Dick’s death was caused by swine flu or an underlying condition.
‘The circumstances of Alan’s death cannot be allowed to detract from our sense of loss for a well-loved member of our school community,’ he wrote.
‘Alan was held in the highest esteem by both current and former students and parents alike – as demonstrated by the hundreds of Facebook and Twitter entries that have already been posted and by the flowers and messages of condolences that have been received.’
The school, which is divided into lower and upper sections, reported an influenza outbreak earlier this month.
Six students were confirmed to have swine flu but they have all since recovered, the health authorities’ statement on Monday said.
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AFP
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#1 by Ashley on September 29th, 2009
Does anyone have any information on the prevention of Swine Flu?