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The following is jointly issued by the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority:
In response to media enquiries on a case involving a 23-year-old man with suspicious symptoms of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority (HA) said that the patient was being monitored but the diagnosis has not been confirmed yet.
This case is not a local case. The man was born in the United Kingdom and came back to Hong Kong in early April this year. He was found to have dizziness and odd behaviours on April 6 and was admitted to Kwong Wah Hospital.
Although the man has clinical features suggestive of vCJD, a number of laboratory tests have shown negative results for the disease. Therefore, the case has not yet been confirmed.
At present, he is being treated at Prince of Wales Hospital and is in critical condition.
According to his relatives, he had no history of surgery or blood transfusion or blood donation.
vCJD is a rare disease with human neuro-degenerative condition and it does not spread through personal contact.
Hospitals concerned have adopted infection control measures accordingly.
Ends/Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Issued at HKT 21:30
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