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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (January 11) investigating a confirmed case of meningococcal infection, a communicable disease transmitted by direct contact with droplets from carriers or infected persons.
The case involves a one-month-old baby girl living in Hainan, Mainland China. She presented with fever and seizure on December 28 last year. She was admitted to a hospital in Hainan on December 29 and was diagnosed as having meningitis.
The patient came to Hong Kong and was admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital on January 5. Her cerebrospinal fluid tested positive for Neisseria meningitidis. She was now in stable condition.
Her home contacts were asymptomatic.
This is the first confirmed case of meningococcal infection this year. Two cases were reported in 2010 and 2009 respectively. No case was reported in 2008.
A spokesman for the CHP said that meningococcal infection is caused by a bacterium known as meningococcus. It is transmitted by direct contact, including droplets from the nose and throat of infected people. The incubation period varies from two to 10 days, commonly three to four days.
The clinical picture may vary. Severe illness may result when the bacteria invade the bloodstream (causing meningococcaemia) or the brain (causing meningitis).
Meningococcaemia is characterised by the sudden onset of fever, intense headache, purpura, shock and even death in severe cases. Meningitis is characterised by the sudden onset of intense headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, photophobia and a stiff neck. Early cases can be treated effectively with antibiotics.
To prevent meningococcal infection, members of the public are advised to:
* Wash hands frequently, and observe good personal and environmental hygiene practices;
* Avoid crowded places;
* Avoid close contact with patients who have fever or severe headache; and
* Cover nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing with a tissue, then discard the tissue into a bin with a lid and wash hands immediately.
Members of the public can visit the CHP's website, www.chp.gov.hk, for general information about the infection.
Ends/Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:35
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