Hong Kong records fifth monkeypox case, authorities call for vigilance and urge high-risk groups to get vaccinated
- Patient, 59, travelled to Guangdong province multiple times and was not linked to other Hong Kong cases
- Public urged to seek help if they develop symptoms, including rash, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, muscle pain or severe headaches
The latest case involves a 59-year-old male patient with chronic disease who developed a body rash last Tuesday. He visited the Yau Ma Tei Male Social Hygiene Clinic of the Department of Health on Thursday and tested positive for monkeypox on Friday evening, according to the Centre for Health Protection on Saturday.
“He was admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital and is now in a stable condition,” it said.
An initial investigation found that the patient, who had travelled to Guangdong multiple times from April 2 to 19, had high-risk exposure during the incubation period.
“No epidemiological links between this case and other confirmed cases recorded in Hong Kong earlier have been found,” the centre said. “The [centre’s] epidemiological investigations of the case are ongoing, including contact tracing and infection source investigation.”
They should seek medical attention as soon as possible if they experience the following symptoms: rash, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, muscle pain or severe headaches, it added.
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What is monkeypox and should we be worried that it’s spreading?
Hong Kong recorded its third and fourth infections last week, concerning a 25-year-old man who had visited South Korea and Japan and was a close contact of a 34-year-old man earlier confirmed to have the virus.
Monkeypox is a viral disease that spreads through prolonged contact between people. It causes a distinctive bumpy rash, fever and muscle aches. The most recent outbreak has spread to more than 100 countries.
The city had its first confirmed case of the virus last September when a 30-year-old man returned from travelling in the Philippines.
According to the centre, early symptoms include fever, intense headaches and fatigue. Painful mouth ulcers and skin rashes usually begin to appear one to three days after the onset of fever, and symptoms usually last for two to three weeks.
