'Avoid touching freshwater fish with bare hands'

Wallis Wang

Hongkongers should avoid eating uncooked fish or touching freshwater fish without gloves after the city had seen another outbreak of invasive Group B Streptococcus - a potentially fatal bacterial infection, a health expert said.

Eight cases carrying a virulent ST283 strain of the bacteria were recorded in September and October - of whom two had died from the infection, the Centre for Health Protection said, adding seven had visited the same wholesale market in Sheung Shui to buy freshwater fish.

The CHP collected fish samples and environmental swabs from the market for testing, but the bacteria was not detected.

Speaking in a radio program yesterday, Medical Association expert in infectious disease Joseph Tsang Kay-yan said Hong Kong had come out of an outbreak of an invasive Group B Streptococcus "although we haven't found the connection among the patients."

But as at least eight patients have been "infected with the same bacteria in the same region within a short period, this counts as an outbreak by definition," he said.

Tsang said that the streptococcal bacterial strain could lead to sepsis and inflammation of the joints, brain and heart linings.

"The symptoms of early-stage infection of the bacteria are similar to flu, as patients may have fever, chills and joint pain. If we fail to take symptoms seriously and only take some fever-reducing medicine, the diagnosis of the bacteria infection will be delayed," he said.

"Such an infection cannot be combated by ourselves alone; we must use effective antibiotics," he added.

Tsang said the elderly and those with impaired immunity are at a higher risk of infection and developing serious complications once infected.

He said people could contract the bacteria after eating fish that is not fully cooked or touching raw freshwater fish.

"The most important thing is that people have to make sure the fish is fully cooked and wear gloves when handling raw fish, especially those who have wounds on their hands," he said.

The CHP said the eight patients, six men and two women aged 49 to 85, contracted the bacteria in September and October. Four of them are retirees while the others are a chef, driver, construction worker and renovation worker.

Four live in Sheung Shui, two in Fanling and two others in Ma On Shan, the center said.

It added that two patients developed meningitis following infection, two had joint inflammation, while the other four developed sepsis, spinal inflammation, urinary tract infection and a flesh-eating infection, respectively.

Two patients had died while the other six have been discharged from the hospital, it said.

Out of the eight patients, seven ate cooked grass carp or bighead carp while one ate uncooked mud carp, five had touched the raw fish without gloves, and three had wounds on their hands when picking up the fish. All of the fish were freshwater.

The outbreak peaked in late September and the last case was recorded on October 7, CHP said, adding no new case had been detected as of December 10.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com