On July 3, 2024, Hong Kong is grappling with an outbreak of invasive Group A Streptococcus, commonly known as the flesh-eating bacteria, with 99 cases registered in the first five months of 2024 alone. This development has raised alarms, especially in light of the pathogen's high mortality rate of 30% in Japan, where the bacteria have led to over a thousand infections.
Ho Pak-leung, director of the Centre for Infection and Infectious Diseases at the University of Hong Kong, highlighted the resurgence of various infectious diseases post-COVID-19 during a radio programme. He urged the public to remain vigilant and to maintain robust hygiene practices to mitigate the spread.
The situation in Hong Kong mirrors that of Japan not just in the severity of the cases but also in the increased vigilance it demands. Before the pandemic, annual infections caused by this bacterium averaged between 1,500 and 2,000 cases. However, numbers had fallen significantly during the pandemic due to strict hygiene and social distancing measures. With the relaxation of these measures and a return to normal social activities, there has been a resurgence not only of COVID-19 but also of other communicable diseases including the flesh-eating bacteria.
The bacteria, with over 250 strains, are known to mutate and evolve periodically, leading to outbreaks when new strains are introduced into a population. Scarlet fever, a disease caused by the bacteria, is a notifiable disease in Hong Kong, primarily affecting children with symptoms such as skin rash and a strawberry-like appearance of the tongue.
Ho emphasized the importance of timely medical consultation and rapid testing to prevent unnecessary antibiotic use and reduce infection risks. Rapid tests, which can provide results within minutes, are crucial for early detection and management of the disease. These tests require samples from inflamed throat mucosa and can be performed under medical supervision or independently, though self-sampling requires certain precautions.
In light of the ongoing risk, Ho advises public vigilance and enhanced personal hygiene. He particularly warns travellers to Japan to wear masks in crowded areas and to manage wound hygiene meticulously. The bacteria can spread through droplets, contact with lesions, or contaminated surfaces, posing a higher risk to children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems.
香港面臨肉食性細菌的增長憂慮 - 99宗個案報告
2024年7月3日 - 香港正在應對侵襲性鏈球菌(即"肉食性細菌")的爆發,在2024年頭五個月內已有99宗個案報告。這種發展引起了警報,尤其是考慮到這種病原體在日本的死亡率高達30%,已導致超過一千宗感染案例。
香港大學感染及傳染病中心主任何栢良在電台節目中強調,在新冠疫情後,各種傳染病都有卷土重來的趨勢。他呼籲公眾保持警惕,並維持良好的衛生習慣以減少擴散。
香港的情況不僅在個案嚴重程度上與日本相似,也在引起更多警惕性上相同。疫情前,這種細菌造成的年度感染平均在1,500至2,000宗之間。但由於疫情期間實施了嚴格的衛生和社交距離措施,感染數字顯著下降。隨著這些措施的放寬,加上社交活動的恢復,不僅新冠疫情有反彈,其他傳染病包括肉食性細菌也有卷土重來的跡象。
這種細菌有超過250種菌株,會定期突變和演化,導致在新菌株引入群體時出現爆發。 in Hong Kong, 猩紅熱是一種由這種細菌引起的法定傳染病,主要影響兒童,症狀包括皮疹和草莓樣舌頭。
何栢良強調及時就醫和快速檢測的重要性,以防止不必要的抗生素使用和降低感染風險。快速檢測可以在幾分鐘內提供結果,對於及早發現和管理這種疾病至關重要。這些檢測需要從發炎的喉部黏膜採樣,可在醫療監督下或自行進行,但自採樣需要某些預防措施。
鑑於持續的風險,何栢良建議公眾保持警惕,並加強個人衛生。他特別警告前往日本的旅客,在人群聚集的地方戴口罩,並要小心管理傷口衛生。這種細菌可通過飛沫、接觸病變皮膚或受污染的表面而傳播,對兒童、老年人和免疫系統受損者的風險較高。
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