79 cases of invasive streptococcus infection were recorded in Hong Kong during the two-month period. An investigation by the Centre for Health Protection found that some patients had been exposed to freshwater fish such as carp.
The Hospital Authority stated today (20th) that 79 cases of infection have been notified to the Centre for Health Protection so far. Among them, 34 patients have been discharged and seven patients died, accounting for about 10%. Some of them have been infected with the invasive type B chain. In addition to cocci, he also suffers from other diseases.
Infection and Infectious Diseases specialist Lin Weixun reminded the public to wear gloves when selecting or handling freshwater fish.
If you are injured without wearing gloves, you should treat the wound properly, including washing with disinfectant, etc.; if necessary, you should seek medical assistance to clean the wound.
He also reminded members of the public not to eat freshwater fish raw, "must be cooked, and pay attention to cooking methods."
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There are still 38 patients in public hospitals
According to the Hospital Authority, infectious disease experts discovered that the number of relevant infections in the last month was higher than the monthly average of the past three years, so on September 30 they actively referred the cases to the Centre for Health Protection for epidemiological investigation and follow-up. .
Based on public health considerations, the HA stated that it will continue to strengthen surveillance and will notify the Centre for Health Protection of new infections in due course.
The HA has notified the Centre for Health Protection of 79 cases of infection so far, and 38 patients are still hospitalized in public hospitals. The HA emphasizes that it will continue to monitor the situation and report the cases to the Centre for Health Protection on a regular basis. Provide appropriate treatment for the treated patients.
Lin Weixun, a specialist in Infection and Infectious Diseases.
(Information Picture/Photographed by Huang Shuhui)
Lin Weixun said that according to the laboratory analysis of the Centre for Health Protection, at least 32 of the cases belonged to the serotype 3 genotype 283 (ST283), and this type of streptococcus can also be found in freshwater fish in many parts of Asia.
He also pointed out that it is difficult to observe whether freshwater fish are infected with the naked eye.
Therefore, the public should wear gloves when selecting or handling freshwater fish.
Lin Weixun also pointed out that according to his observations of the elderly, patients with chronic diseases, etc., exposure to general beta-streptococcus is more likely to become severe, including meningitis and sepsis.
However, ST283 is more pathogenic, even if young people are infected, there is a chance of severe illness.
The Center for Health Protection recently announced that among the 79 patients infected with invasive streptococcus from last month to the 10th of this month, the youngest were only one month old.
Patients mainly suffer from sepsis, meningitis, septic arthritis, or abscess/cellulitis.
After investigation by the CHP, it was discovered that some people had been exposed to freshwater fish such as carp before the onset of the illness, and some people had wounds on their hands when handling raw fish.
The authorities visited the Yeung Uk Road Market in Tsuen Wan where the patient had visited earlier, and the "Chicken Land" in Yuen Long. The environmental samples collected in the market were consistent with the genetic sequence of the fish samples.
However, the Centre for Health Protection did not announce the death cases.
B-streptococcus cases increase in 40 days, 79 patients have been exposed to freshwater fish, experts teach ways to avoid B-streptococcus │ Fish stalls in Yang Uk Road Market are not afraid of virus-carrying fish in the neighborhood: Wear gloves to cut fish, Hong Kong explodes B-streptococcus In the two months of the epidemic, 79 people were infected with the epidemic and samples from the two markets tested positive. September 51 inpatients were infected with invasive beta-streptococcus more than double the highest in the previous single month
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