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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The spokesperson for Kowloon Central Cluster made the following announcement today (January 8) about a staff member confirmed to have tuberculosis:
A staff member at the Renal Dialysis Centre of Yaumatei Specialist Clinic had an onset of intermittent coughing in early December 2015. The staff member was admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) last Tuesday (December 29) and her sputum specimen tested positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but the specimen did not carry drug resistance gene. The staff member has been discharged home for sick leave and is receiving treatment.
The hospital has taken prompt infection control measures and is investigating the incident. Joint assessment made by microbiologists and medical specialists concluded that the infectivity of the staff member was low, taking into account the fact that the staff member only had mild symptoms and had put on surgical mask while on duty. However, as a precautionary measure, the Renal Dialysis Centre and QEH has been contacting 133 patients and 59 staff who had contact with the staff member to explain the situation, and is closely monitoring their health condition and arranging follow-up checks as necessary. So far, no patients or staff have reported any symptoms of tuberculosis.
The Kowloon Central Cluster has reported the case to the Hospital Authority Head Office for necessary follow-up and notified the Centre for Health Protection. Meanwhile, the Cluster will enhance infection control measures and continue to closely monitor the health condition of the patients and staff concerned.
Ends/Friday, January 8, 2016
Issued at HKT 16:55
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