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Medical practitioners are reminded to be on the alert for cases of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infection and that they will be required by law to notify the Centre for Health Protection (CHP), Department of Health (DH) of this condition starting from Friday (January 5).
A DH spokesman said the Director of Health had ordered the disease be included in the list of statutory notifiable infectious diseases, bringing to 32 the total number of infectious diseases on the list in the First Schedule to the Quarantine and Prevention of Disease Ordinance (Cap. 141).
The orders will be gazetted on Friday (January 5), he said.
"Given the recent apparent increase in local cases of CA-MRSA infection, we consider that there is a need to contain the disease before it becomes widespread in the community.
"The mandatory reporting of CA-MRSA infection will enable the health authority to better understand the epidemiology of the disease in the community, identify abnormal clustering or outbreaks, and implement control measures in a timely manner," the spokesman said.
The CHP has sent letters to all medical practitioners to inform them of the legislative amendment and reporting criteria.
Forms of notification are available at CENO On-line, the web-based reporting system of CHP at http://www.chp.gov.hk/ceno.
Doctors may also download the form and report by fax to 2477 2770. Enquiries about reporting can also be made to CENO at 2477 2772.
Ends/Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Issued at HKT 16:21
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