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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The spokesperson for Kowloon Central Cluster made the following update today (September 3) regarding earlier announcements by Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) and Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital (BH) on two clusters of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) carriers:
In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, QEH has performed contact tracing. Five more patients (a male and four females, aged 28 to 96) in medical wards were confirmed as having VRE today but without clinical symptoms. The patients concerned are still hospitalised and are now under medical surveillance and isolation with stable condition.
In addition, BH has also performed contact tracing. Five more patients (a male and four females, aged 52 to 89) in medical wards were confirmed as having VRE today but without clinical symptoms. The patients concerned are still hospitalised and are now under medical surveillance and isolation with stable condition.
The Cluster Infection Control Team, the departments concerned and experts of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) had met and decided to adopt the following enhanced infection control measures:
1. Strongly encouraging patients perform hand hygiene;
2. Enhancing hand hygiene of staff;
3. Applying stringent contact precautions, including dedicated use of clinical items to VRE carriers;
4. Enhancing environmental and equipment decontamination; and
5. Applying an active surveillance culture for high-risk patients.
The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the CHP for necessary follow-up. The Cluster Infection Control Team will continue to closely monitor the situation of the wards.
Ends/Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Issued at HKT 19:27
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