{"id":9384,"date":"2011-06-20T23:06:00","date_gmt":"2011-06-20T23:06:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2011-06-20T23:06:00","modified_gmt":"2011-06-20T23:06:00","slug":"Hong-Kong-declares-scarlet-fever-outbreak--","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/?p=9384","title":{"rendered":"Hong Kong declares scarlet fever outbreak"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hong Kong has declared an outbreak of scarlet fever after it claimed the life of at least one child<\/strong> while infecting thousands of others in the city and elsewhere in China.<\/p>\n

A seven-year-old Hong Kong girl died from the illness late last month while a five-year-old boy in the city died this morning<\/strong> from what health authorities said was a “very likely” a case of scarlet fever.<\/p>\n

Hong Kong authorities have recorded 40 new cases in the past few days<\/strong>, pushing the total number to 459 so far this year, the highest annual total in the city and more than three times the figure for the whole of 2010.<\/p>\n

The boy — who also had chicken pox — developed a fever last Wednesday and was admitted to hospital on Sunday with symptoms of the illness.<\/p>\n

His condition deteriorated rapidly and he died this morning, Thomas Tsang, controller of Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection, said.<\/p>\n

Classes have been suspended at the boy’s kindergarten for a week, a first for Hong Kong following a scarlet fever death.<\/p>\n

“We are facing an epidemic because the bacteria that is causing scarlet fever is widely circulating in this region<\/strong> — not only in Hong Kong but in mainland China and Macau.”<\/p>\n

Hong Kong radio station RTHK reported that 49 people had contracted the illness in Macau, a former Portuguese colony about an hour by ferry from Hong Kong<\/strong>, with nine taken to hospital but no fatalities.<\/p>\n

Tsang said today that more than 9,000 people had been infected so far this year in mainland China<\/strong>, doubling the average figure in recent years. He did not say if there were any fatal cases.<\/p>\n

“Scarlet fever is in its peak season and may continue to be widespread for a prolonged period of time, possibly the whole summer,” Tsang said.<\/p>\n

Local scientists said the outbreak may be linked to a deadly new strain of the disease which could make it more contagious than in the past<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A unique gene fragment was present in the bacteria’s genome “which might contribute to increased transmissibility of this strain,” said a health protection centre statement, released late Monday.<\/p>\n

Scarlet fever mainly affects children between the ages of two and eight.<\/strong> Symptoms include fever, sore throat, rashes and a “strawberry colored” tongue, and usually subside within 48 hours with appropriate antibiotic treatment.<\/p>\n

The new strain, discovered by researchers at the University of Hong Kong, appears to be resistant to antibiotics traditionally used to fight the illness.<\/p>\n

Hong Kong is particularly nervous about infectious diseases following the 2003 SARS outbreak, which killed 300 people in the city and a further 500 worldwide.<\/p>\n

The densely city populated city of seven million has also seen fatalities from multiple swine flu outbreaks.<\/p>\n

Tse Hung-hing, former president and current board member of the Hong Kong Medical Association, said he expects more scarlet fever cases in the coming months<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“We are seeing a rising trend. We don’t know how many more will come. We haven’t seen the top yet,” he told AFP.<\/p>\n

“The bacteria is becoming more resistant to antibiotics traditionally used,” Tse added.<\/p>\n

Source AFP<\/em>
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