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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (May 23) investigating a case of New Delhi metallo-£]-lactamase (NDM) Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae affecting an 83-year-old man.
The patient, with underlying illnesses, attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) on May 11 for gastroenteritis and was transferred to Kowloon Hospital on May 12. He developed shortness of breath and was transferred back to QEH for further management on May 16. He is currently in stable condition.
A urine specimen taken from the patient on May 19 tested positive for NDM Carbapenemase producing Enterobacteriaceae upon preliminary laboratory testing by QEH. The specimen will be sent to Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the CHP for further testing.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the patient had no recent travel history. He has been classified as colonisation. Investigations by the CHP are underway.
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 vary 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.
A CHP 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 23, 2014
Issued at HKT 22:18
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