**********************************************************
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
In response to media enquiries about a probable case of classical Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), the spokesperson of Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (PYNEH) gave the following reply today (October 2):
A female patient, aged 83, was admitted to the medical ward through the Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of PYNEH on August 8, 2008 for recurrent episodes of positional vertigo with tinnitus and hearing impairment. Her condition continued to deteriorate afterwards, with deteriorating cognitive function, occasional confused speech and twitching of the face and limbs. She passed away on September 22. Clinical presentations and Electro-encephalogram (EEG) screening confirmed it was a probable case of classical Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). Further confirmation has to be made through post-mortem investigation.
Hospital record shows that the patient received a cataract operation in PYNEH on January 8, 2004. Although the surgical instruments had undergone thorough sterilization process according to protocol after each operation, the risk of cross-contamination, which is extremely low, could not be absolutely eliminated as Prion-Protein is unlikely to be inactivated by normal sterilization procedure as indicated in some literature and by specialist advice on CJD.
Upon retrieval of surgery records, there are 10 patients who had undergone cataract from January 9 to 13, 2004 and might have contacts with related surgical instruments. PYNEH has started to contact affected patients and their families. They will be given an explanation about the case and informed of the extremely low potential exposure to the risk of CJD by being operated on with those identified instruments. So far there is no reported case of transmission of CJD through cataract surgery. However, as a prudent step for precaution, PYNEH would arrange related investigations and follow-up for them.
The post-mortem finding of the case and the concerned 10 patients will be under close surveillance of PYNEH.
CJD is one form of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) and a very rare degenerative brain disease. No cause can be determined for most of the cases, with some caused by faulty Prion-Proteins. In the early stages of the disease, CJD patients may exhibit failing memory, behavior changes and other dementia-like symptoms. As the illness progresses, involuntary twitching of limbs, visual disturbances, dyasesthesia and seizures becomes more pronounced. Variant CJD (vCJD, also know as "Mad-cow Disease") is also caused by faulty Prion-Proteins, but with a higher risk for transmission than classical CJD. The cause of vCJD is probably consumption of meat products and internal organs of infected cattle.
A Task Force has been set up by PYNEH to oversee the necessary follow up actions. The case has been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow up.
Ends/Thursday, October 2, 2008
Issued at HKT 20:39
NNNN
