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Friday, October 11, 2013

Hong Kong : Confirmed case of Japanese encephalitis under CHP investigation

Press release from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection :

" The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (October 10) investigating a confirmed case of Japanese encephalitis (JE) affecting a woman aged 45 and hence urged the public to take precautions against mosquito-transmitted diseases.

The patient, with good past health, has developed fever, malaise, myalgia and loss of appetite since September 26 and consulted a private doctor on October 1. She presented with high fever, tremors and impaired mental state on October 5 and was admitted to Prince of Wales Hospital for management on the same day. The patient is currently in stable condition.

Her cerebrospinal fluid sample tested positive for antibodies against JE, a viral disease transmitted by the bite of infective mosquitoes, upon laboratory testing by the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the CHP.

Initial enquiries by the CHP revealed that the patient had travelled to Shanwei, Guangdong, from September 20 to 22 and spent most of the time outdoors. The case is likely to be an imported infection. Her four home contacts have remained asymptomatic so far. The CHP's investigation is proceeding. 

Apart from the above case, to date, three JE cases (two local and one imported) have been reported to the CHP this year. Three cases (two imported and one local) were reported in 2012 while one (a local case) was reported in 2011. Locally, no cases were reported from 2008 to 2010."

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