Wan Chai woman hospitalized with melioidosis infection
On.cc · 3 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong health authorities reported one new melioidosis case for the week ending October 22, involving a 50-year-old woman with underlying illnesses who lives in Wan Chai. She has been admitted to Ruttonjee Hospital and is in stable condition after laboratory testing on a liver abscess confirmed Burkholderia pseudomallei infection.
Key Points
- The Centre for Health Protection said the patient developed persistent fever on September 30 and went to Ruttonjee Hospital's accident and emergency department on October 3.
- She required hospital admission, and doctors later found a liver abscess during treatment at Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai.
- A sample taken from the liver abscess tested positive for Burkholderia pseudomallei, the bacterium that causes melioidosis.
- The Centre for Health Protection is investigating the source of infection and said preliminary epidemiological findings indicate the case is sporadic.
- Authorities said there is no information showing an epidemiological link between this patient and earlier confirmed Hong Kong cases, bringing this year's total to 10 by October 22.
Why It Matters
The case adds to Hong Kong's melioidosis tally for the year and means the infection source remains under investigation by health authorities. For residents, especially people with chronic illnesses, the update keeps attention on unexplained fever cases that later require hospital assessment and laboratory confirmation.