(CBS) A scarlet fever outbreak in Hong Kong is causing government officials there to turn up the heat on finding a way to stop the disease's spread.
At least 400 cases of scarlet fever have been reported in Hong Kong this year, resulting in two deaths: a seven-year-old girl last month, and a five-year-old boy Tuesday morning, Reuters reports. Scarlet fever cases occur each year in Hong Kong, but not in these numbers, leading scientists to believe a genetic mutation is the root of the outbreak.
"It is the first time we have seen this kind of mutation in that particular type of Streptococcus." Dr. Samson Wong Sai-yin, assistant professor of microbiology at the University of Hong Kong, told Hong Kong's English daily, The Standard.
If this latest outbreak is a result of a genetic mutation, it'll be more difficult to control, according to Dr. Thomas Tsang, controller of Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection.
"The outbreak may be sustained for some time," he told BBC News.
And the disease keeps spreading throughout the region to China and Macau, where cases have shot up a respective 300 and 500 percent.
Scarlet fever is caused by streptococcal bacteria - the same germ that causes strep throat. But in addition to strep's symptoms of fever, sore throat, white spots on the tonsils, and swollen lymph nodes - a sandpaper-like red rash starts on the abdomen and spreads throughout the body within two days. It can be treated by antibiotics, but possible complications include ear infection, sinusitis, pneumonia, and in rare cases, rheumatic fever or heart disease.
To prevent the disease's spread, Hong Kong officials advise its citizens to maintain good personal hygiene, keep hands clean, wash hands after coughing/sneezing, cover nose and mouth while coughing/sneezing, and maintain good ventilation, according to a Centre for Health Protection written statement.
Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20072929-10391704.html#ixzz1PvybuIvf
0 komentar:
Post a Comment