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Update on cluster of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci cases in Queen Elizabeth Hospital
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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) made the following update today (September 9) regarding earlier announcement on clusters of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) carriers in medical wards:

     In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, contact tracing has been performed. Six more patients (four male and two female, aged 22 to 85) were confirmed as VRE carriers today, but without clinical symptoms. The patients concerned are still hospitalised and now under medical surveillance and in isolation with stable condition.

     The QEH Infection Control Team, the departments concerned and experts of the Centre for Health Protection have discussed the situation and decided to adopt the following enhanced infection control measures:

1. Strongly encourage patients to perform hand hygiene;
2. Enhanced hand hygiene for staff;
3. Stringent contact precautions to be applied, including dedicated use of clinical items for VRE carriers;
4. Enhanced environmental and equipment decontamination; and
5. Active surveillance culture for in-patients.

     The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow up. The QEH Infection Control Team will continue to closely monitor the situation in the wards.

Ends/Monday, September 9, 2013
Issued at HKT 19:37

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