The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The spokesperson for Kwong Wah Hospital (KWH) made the following announcement today (December 31):
A 68-year-old male patient in an orthopaedic ward of KWH was confirmed as a carrier of Candida auris on December 12 without signs of infection. The patient had been discharged earlier. In accordance with prevailing guidelines, KWH conducted contact tracing and found two more male patients, aged 72 and 82, carrying Candida auris without signs of infection. The two patients are now being treated in isolation and are in stable condition.
In addition, a 23-day-old baby girl in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit was confirmed as a carrier of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on December 14, without signs of infection. The patient had been discharged earlier. In accordance with prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital conducted enhanced surveillance and two more patients, both 21-day-old baby girls, were confirmed as MRSA carriers without symptoms of infection. The two patients are now in stable condition and are being treated in isolation.
The hospital will enhance infection control measures in accordance with preveiling guidelines in the two wards concerned:
- thorough cleaning and disinfection of the wards, including the environment and medical equipment;
- enhanced medical surveillance of the patients and environmental screening procedures in the wards; and
- applied stringent contact precautions and enhanced hand hygiene of staff.
The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for follow up.
Follow this news feed: East Asia