Ten passengers on board the same flight which four Japanese passengers were confirmed with A/H1N1 influenza have been under quarantine in Hong Kong, a Hong Kong health official confirmed on Monday.

Nine of them have so far tested negative for A/H1N1 influenza and result of laboratory analysis of the remaining one is pending, according to a spokesman for the Department of Health of Hong Kong government.

He said the 19 passengers on board the Northwest Airlines plane(flight no. NW025) who had indicated that they would come to Hong Kong had been traced. Four of them sat at a different cabin of the flight concerned and did not share common facilities with the four Japanese passengers who were confirmed to have been infected with A/H1N1 influenza. Seven were currently not in Hong Kong and the eight who arrived in Hong Kong had been located.

The eight found in Hong Kong together with the two passengers identified on May 9 at the Airport and in a Tsim Sha Tsui hotel are being quarantined.

Six of them are under observation in Princess Margaret Hospital, two in North District Hospital and two have been transferred to Lady MacLehose Holiday Camp for quarantine up to May 15.

The spokesman urged people who had taken the flight concerned to call the hotline to facilitate follow up investigation by the department.