Health dept warns against superbugs
(01-22 19:06)
The Centre for Health Protection called on the public to be extremely cautious against infection by the drug-resistant superbug -- community-associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or CA-MRSA -- after the centre confirmed a case of invasive CA-MRSA involving a 25-year-old man living in mainland.
The man presented with fever and cough with sputum and sought medical consultation in the Mainland in early January. He was admitted to a private hospital in Hong Kong on January 5 and discharged the next day. His clinical diagnosis was pneumonia. His sputum specimen grew CA-MRSA.
MRSA is resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics. It is a common infection worldwide.
In recent years, many countries have observed MRSA infections in healthy individuals who have not been hospitalised or stayed in other health-care facilities or institutions, nor received medical procedures in the year before the onset of symptoms. They are known as CA-MRSA infections and usually have special patterns of antibiotic resistance.
It is widely recognised that indiscriminate use of antibiotics may contribute to antibiotics resistance, the centre said.
People are advised not to use antibiotics without professional medical advice. If they are advised by doctors to take antibiotics, they should take the medicine according to the prescribed frequency and dosage. People should observe good personal hygiene including washing hands with liquid soap frequently, the centre said.
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