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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The spokesperson of Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) made the following announcement today (March 25) on a staff member confirmed with tuberculosis:
A supporting staff member at a QEH postnatal ward underwent a bronchoscopy in late January for her underlying medical condition. The microscopic smear test on her bronchoalveolar lavage specimen was negative for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Subsequently, the specimen was culture positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis last Thursday (March 19). The staff member has not shown any symptoms of active tuberculosis infection all along, and she has since been put on medical treatment. She has been on sick leave since January 28.
Following the laboratory test result, the hospital has taken prompt infection control measures and investigated into the incident. Joint assessment made by microbiologists, respiratory medicine specialists and Department of Health experts in tuberculosis concluded that the infectivity of the staff member is very low, taking into account that she had put on a surgical mask while on duty, her sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage specimens were both smear negative for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and that the staff member did not have any symptoms of active tuberculosis infection.
As a precautionary measure, the hospital has traced the records of newborns who had possible exposure to the staff member. It was found that apart from bottle-feeding one newborn, the staff member had no close contact with any other babies. No staff at the same ward have reported any symptoms of tuberculosis. The hospital has contacted the parents of the newborn to explain the situation and will arrange for a paediatrician to follow up and test for possible Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.
QEH has reported the case to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up. Meanwhile, the hospital will enhance infection control measures and continue to closely monitor the health situation of newborns and staff of the ward.
Ends/Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Issued at HKT 18:47
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