Press Release
Another case of congenital rubella infection under investigation
14 Feb 2012
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is investigating another case of congenital rubella infection and urged again women of child-bearing age to consult doctors to check for immunity against rubella and need for rubella vaccination before getting pregnant.
The case was a female infant delivered at 39 weeks of gestation in Prince of Wales Hospital on December 27, 2011. She presented with vomiting, diarrhea, irritability and decreased appetite on February 7. She was admitted to Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital on February 8. Her clinical diagnosis was meningoencephalitis.
Her serum was tested positive for rubella IgM and urine sample tested positive for rubella virus. Her current condition is stable.
Her mother was born in the Mainland and came to Hong Kong two years ago. She had antenatal check-up in Fanling Maternal and Child Health Centre in July 2011 at 16 weeks of gestation and antenatal blood taken at that time was positive for rubella antibody, meaning that she had immunity against rubella or had previous rubella infection. She was unsure about her rubella vaccination history and she did not have symptoms of rubella during the antenatal period.
CHP's investigation is on-going.
The spokesman explained that rubella infection, also known as "German Measles", is a highly infectious disease caused by rubella virus. In susceptible pregnant women, rubella infection may cause anomalies in the developing fetus, known as congenital rubella syndrome. Congenital rubella syndrome is characterised by deafness, eye lesions, heart malformations and mental retardation. It mainly occurs in infants born to women who got infected during the first three months of pregnancy.
"Immunisation with rubella is the most effective way to prevent the disease. Non-immune individuals are advised to consult their doctors for rubella vaccine, usually given together with measles and mumps vaccines. Women of child-bearing age planning to get pregnant should consult doctors to check for rubella immune status and need for rubella vaccination," the spokesman said.
"Women who are tested negative for rubella antibody may approach their family doctors for advice and vaccination.
"Women attending for antenatal care who are unaware of their immune status should be tested for rubella antibodies and if negative, be vaccinated immediately post partum." he said.
In Hong Kong, routine rubella vaccination was provided to all girls at primary six since 1978 and given together with measles and mumps vaccines (MMR) to all children at one year old since 1990 and a routine second dose of MMR at primary one was introduced at 1996. The coverage of MMR vaccination in Hong Kong is over 95% at primary one.