14 Aug 2008
A spokesman for the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health said today (August 14) that CHP is continuing investigations on the reported illnesses of two children yesterday. One child had died possibly from myocarditis while the other with an encephalitis-like illness was being treated in hospital.
The spokesman said ongoing investigations showed that the two children had different clinical pictures. They had no previous contact with one another. No common epidemiological link was evident.
At the moment, their illnesses appear unrelated to one another and they may have arisen from one or different agents, he said.
The spokesman added that examination of previous data from death certificates (2004-06) showed that on average, some 15 to 20 children aged nine or below in Hong Kong died from probable infective causes each year.
He said, "The more common manifestations include myocarditis, encephalitis, pneumonia and septicemia.
"According to international experience, the etiological agent in many cases of encephalitis and myocarditis cannot be identified."
The spokesman said a new child case was reported today (August 14) through the paediatric surveillance programme set up by the CHP with private and public hospitals It is a retrospective case involving a three-year old Pakistani girl living in Shamshuipo district (different from the two reported cases yesterday).
The girl was admitted to Kwong Wah Hospital for fever and vomiting on August 10 and received intensive care treatment. She passed away the next day with suspicion of septicemia. Laboratory results on her specimens are pending.
The girl had no history of travel and her family members did not have any similar symptoms. The case has been submitted to Coroner's Court for further investigation.
The paediatric surveillance programme was set up by the CHP with private and public hospitals to detect severe complications that were suspected to be related to hand-foot-mouth disease, influenza and possibly other infections.
CHP is carrying on investigations of the cases. Further cases are expected to be captured by the paediatric surveillance programme from time to time and CHP will keep monitoring the reports on an ongoing basis.