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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (October 16) received a confirmed case of meningococcal infection, a communicable disease transmitted by direct contact with infected persons' droplets.
The case involved a 48-year-old male tourist arriving in Hong Kong on October 12. He developed headache, muscle pain and cough on the same day and consulted a private doctor on October 14. He was admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital on October 15 and is now in critical condition.
Laboratory test results available today confirmed the patient has meningococcal meningitis.
This is the first confirmed case of meningococcal infection this year. Four cases were reported in 2005, six in 2006 and two in 2007.
A spokesman for the CHP said that meningococcal infection is caused by a bacterium known as meningococcus. It is transmitted by direct contact, including droplets from the nose and throat of infected people. The incubation period varies from two to 10 days, commonly three to four days.
The clinical picture may be variable. Severe illness may result when the bacteria invade the bloodstream (causing meningococcaemia) or the brain (causing meningitis).
Meningococcaemia is characterised by the sudden onset of fever, intense headache, purpura, shock and even death in severe cases. Meningitis is characterised by the sudden onset of intense headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, photophobia and stiff neck. Early cases can be treated effectively with antibiotics.
Members of the public are advised to:
* Wash hands frequently, and observe good personal and environmental hygiene;
* Avoid crowded places;
* Avoid close contact with patients who have fever or severe headache; and
* Cover nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing, and hold the spit with tissue, discard it into a bin with a lid and wash hands immediately.
The public can visit the CHP's website, www.chp.gov.hk, for general information about the disease.
Ends/Thursday, October 16, 2008
Issued at HKT 19:04
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