Scarlet fever fear after boy, 5, dies
Source: Agencies |
00:00 UTC+8 June 22, 2011
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Print Edition
Print Edition
HONG Kong has closed a kindergarten for a week after fears that a second child may have died of scarlet fever.
Experts warned that the epidemic sweeping through Hong Kong, Macau and parts of Chinese mainland may worsen.
The five-year-old boy who died yesterday morning went to the kindergarten with 400 other children. While authorities have not detected any other scarlet fever cases there, it was advised to shut for a week.
"We will be monitoring the situation very closely," Dr Thomas Tsang, controller of Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection, told reporters.
The disease, caused by group A streptococcus bacteria and spread by respiratory secretions, killed a seven-year-old Hong Kong girl last month and has made hundreds of children sick in Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau.
Scientists in Hong Kong who isolated the bacteria in a six-year-old patient found a slight change in its genetic structure which may have enhanced its ability to spread.
"If the genetic mutation is responsible for the increased transmissibility of the bacteria, the outbreak may be sustained for some time," Tsang said.
Scientists at the University of Hong Kong will analyze bacteria samples from other patients to see if they can shed more light on the epidemic, Tsang said.
While scarlet fever happens every year in the region, its incidence has shot up this year.
"Chinese mainland and Macau are also suffering from unusually high numbers of scarlet fever cases and we believe it may be a regional phenomenon," a spokeswoman for Hong Kong's health department said.
"The outbreak hasn't shown signs of slowing down and we may continue to see more cases this summer."
Scarlet fever mostly affects children under 10. They develop fever and sore throat, and a red rash appears on their trunk, neck and limbs. It can be treated with antibiotics but complications can result in shock, and heart and kidney problems.
Hong Kong has had more than 419 cases this year, by far the highest number in years.
Cases in Hong Kong were up 4.5 times over the same period last year. Cases in the mainland and Macau were up 2.6 and 4.7 times respectively, the Hong Kong health protection center said.
Experts warned that the epidemic sweeping through Hong Kong, Macau and parts of Chinese mainland may worsen.
The five-year-old boy who died yesterday morning went to the kindergarten with 400 other children. While authorities have not detected any other scarlet fever cases there, it was advised to shut for a week.
"We will be monitoring the situation very closely," Dr Thomas Tsang, controller of Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection, told reporters.
The disease, caused by group A streptococcus bacteria and spread by respiratory secretions, killed a seven-year-old Hong Kong girl last month and has made hundreds of children sick in Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau.
Scientists in Hong Kong who isolated the bacteria in a six-year-old patient found a slight change in its genetic structure which may have enhanced its ability to spread.
"If the genetic mutation is responsible for the increased transmissibility of the bacteria, the outbreak may be sustained for some time," Tsang said.
Scientists at the University of Hong Kong will analyze bacteria samples from other patients to see if they can shed more light on the epidemic, Tsang said.
While scarlet fever happens every year in the region, its incidence has shot up this year.
"Chinese mainland and Macau are also suffering from unusually high numbers of scarlet fever cases and we believe it may be a regional phenomenon," a spokeswoman for Hong Kong's health department said.
"The outbreak hasn't shown signs of slowing down and we may continue to see more cases this summer."
Scarlet fever mostly affects children under 10. They develop fever and sore throat, and a red rash appears on their trunk, neck and limbs. It can be treated with antibiotics but complications can result in shock, and heart and kidney problems.
Hong Kong has had more than 419 cases this year, by far the highest number in years.
Cases in Hong Kong were up 4.5 times over the same period last year. Cases in the mainland and Macau were up 2.6 and 4.7 times respectively, the Hong Kong health protection center said.
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