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The Public Health Laboratory Services Branch (PHLSB) of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health has identified a case of New Delhi metallo-£]-lactamase (NDM) Carbapenemase producing Enterobacteriaceae in a 94-year-old woman.
The patient, with chronic illness, lives in Dongguan in the Mainland. Having presented with chest discomfort, she was admitted to a hospital in Dongguan from April 26 to May 7 for treatment.
She was then admitted to North District Hospital on May 9. Her rectal swab specimen collected on May 14 tested positive for NDM Carbapenemase producing Enterobacteriaceae, as confirmed by the PHLSB on May 17. She is now in a stable condition.
Investigation by the CHP is continuing.
This is the eighth detected case of NDM Carbapenemase producing Enterobacteriaceae in Hong Kong.
The spokesman explained that NDM is an enzyme which can inactivate carbapenems and other beta-lactams such as penicillins. Bacteria harbouring this NDM gene are commonly resistant to multiple antimicrobials, limiting therapeutic options and rendering severe clinical infections difficult to treat. Most bacteria with the NDM enzyme remain susceptible to two types of antibiotics, colistin and tigecycline.
Infections have varied from being asymptomatic to potentially life-threatening or fatal. The level of risk depends on which part of the body is affected by the infection, and the general health of the patient.
NDM producing Enterobacteriaceae was first reported in a Swedish patient of Indian origin who travelled to New Delhi, India, in 2008. The first fatal case was identified in 2010 in a patient who received medical treatment in Pakistan before being repatriated to Belgium.
NDM producing Enterobacteriaceae has now been reported in many countries and regions including Australia, Austria, Canada, Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Sweden, Singapore, Taiwan, the UK and the US. Most patients had prior hospital contact in the Indian subcontinent.
The spokesman said that proper use of antibiotics and personal hygiene, especially hand hygiene, are important for the prevention of emergence and cross transmission of NDM strains.
Ends/Friday, May 18, 2012
Issued at HKT 16:50
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