Melioid ｜ A 50-year-old man who went camping in the countryside last month contracted the disease and has a history of diabetes, the second case this year

The Center for Health Protection of the Department of Health announced today (20th) that a newly confirmed case of melioidosis has been confirmed in the past week, involving a 50-year-old man living in Tai Po. On July 7, he consulted a dentist and received treatment.

Later, he went to the Accident and Emergency Department of Tai Po Nethersole Hospital due to fever and facial swelling and pain. He was admitted to the hospital on the same day. The diagnosis showed a dental abscess, as well as infections on the face, eye sockets and neck. He was in stable condition. Subsequent tests confirmed that Melioidosis was positive.

Epidemiological investigations showed that the patient had been camping in the countryside in December last year, during which time he was exposed to soil and rain.

Investigation is still ongoing.

▼On October 21, Yuan Guoyong and Zhang Zhujun went to Baitian Village, Sham Shui Po to investigate the melioidosis epidemic▼

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The CHP said the new case involved a 50-year-old man with diabetes living in Tai Po.

He started suffering from toothache on December 24 last year and saw a dentist for treatment on January 7.

Later, due to fever and facial swelling, he went to the Accident and Emergency Department of Tai Po Nethersole Hospital on January 11 and was admitted to the hospital on the same day.

The patient was diagnosed with a dental abscess, as well as infections of the face, eye sockets and neck.

The patient's condition has been stable.

His blood samples were assayed positive for Burkholderia pseudomallei.

Epidemiological investigations showed that the patient went camping in the countryside in December last year, during which time he was exposed to soil and rain.

Investigation is still ongoing.

A total of 2 melioid cases have been recorded in Hong Kong this year, and a total of 46 melioid cases were recorded last year, including 30 cases recorded in Sham Shui Po District since August of the same year.

▼A case of melioid infection in Baitian Village on October 18▼

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The Government has gazetted earlier to include melioidosis as a statutory notifiable infectious disease under Schedule 1 of the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance (Cap. 599).

The CHP will continue to work closely with the Hospital Authority to step up surveillance of melioid cases.

A spokesman for the Center for Health Protection said that melioidosis generally does not spread from person to person or through animals, but melioidosis can survive in the local environment.

Melioidosis is an endemic disease in Hong Kong, and human cases of melioidosis have been recorded every year in Hong Kong.

According to the literature, infection cases appear more often after typhoons or heavy rains.

After a typhoon or heavy rain, Burkholderia pseudomallei in soil and muddy water may be exposed to the ground, and with strong winds or heavy rains, the melioidosis bacteria are more likely to spread, which may increase the number of melioidosis cases.

Melioidosis｜Three more people diagnosed with melioidosis all living in the Sham Shui Po center: Melioidosis occurred from September to early November｜PolyU research proves that the airborne bacteria after the typhoon in Sham Shui Po area is an inhalational infection of melioidosis︱A 69-year-old woman living in Sham Shui Po infected with the disease Various long-term diseases are currently hospitalized and the situation is stable. Melioidosis｜Four more confirmed cases, all living in Sham Shui Po, one person is in serious condition. Center: not newly infected with melioidosis｜Seventy-year-old woman infected with the disease in Sham Shui Po's family was diagnosed in September, but the same source of infection cannot be ruled out