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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health has conducted further laboratory testing on specimens from the two recent scarlet fever deaths. Results showed that two different strains of Streptococcus pyogenes were involved.
In the case of the 7-year-old girl who passed away on May 29 at Queen Mary Hospital, typing tests on the bacterium (Streptococcus pyogenes) isolated from this patient identified the strain emm 12. Similar typing tests on the bacterial isolate from the 5-year-old boy who passed away on June 21 in Princess Margaret Hospital, however, identified the strain emm 1.
Further tests are being carried out by the Public Health Laboratory Centre.
In the 24 hours ending at noon today (June 23), the CHP had recorded 32 cases of scarlet fever and four scarlet fever outbreaks.
From June 21, the CHP has provided a daily update on the scarlet fever situation on its website at www.chp.gov.hk.
Ends/Thursday, June 23, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:24
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