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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (April 15) investigating a case of Legionnaires' disease (LD) involving a 52-year-old man.
The male patient, with good past health and living in Shatin, presented with cough and blood-stained sputum since February 15. He attended the Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH) for management between March 8 and 16 and was re-admitted to PWH on April 4 for bronchoscopy. The clinical diagnosis was pneumonia. He is currently in stable condition.
Laboratory testing on the patient's bronchial aspirate revealed that he was infected with Legionella bacteria.
The patient has no recent travel history and his family contacts are asymptomatic.
Investigations by the CHP are proceeding.
This is the fifth LD case reported to the CHP this year. Twenty-eight cases were filed in 2012, 17 in 2011 and 20 in 2010.
The public may visit the CHP website (www.chp.gov.hk) for more information on LD and corresponding preventive advice.
Ends/Monday, April 15, 2013
Issued at HKT 19:00
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