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Thursday, September 12, 2013

Hong Kong : Fever patient with travel history tests negative for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus

From Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection :

" The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (September 11) received notification from a private hospital of a suspected case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome affecting a man aged 24 whose respiratory specimen tested negative for the virus.

The patient, with good past health, presented with cough, running nose and sore throat on September 7, followed by fever the next day (September 8). He attended an out-patient clinic of a private hospital today and was referred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for isolation and management. He is currently in stable condition.

Initial enquiries by the CHP revealed that the patient had travelled to Iran from September 3 to 6, during which he had no exposure to animals or patients. He subsequently travelled to Shenyang, Liaoning, from September 6 to 10. His home contacts have so far remained asymptomatic.

His nasopharyngeal aspirate tested negative for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus upon preliminary laboratory testing by Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the CHP.

Locally, the CHP will continue its surveillance mechanism with public and private hospitals, practising doctors and the airport for any suspected case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.

 "No human infection with this virus has been identified so far in Hong Kong," the DH spokesman stressed.

 "We would like to reassure the public that the Government will be as transparent as possible in the dissemination of information on cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. Whenever there is a suspected case, particularly involving patients with travel history to the Middle East, the CHP will release information to the public as soon as possible," the spokesman said.

 Health-care workers and hospitals are reminded to maintain vigilance against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and adhere to strict infection control measures while handling suspected cases in order to reduce the risk of transmission to other patients, health-care workers and visitors."

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