Hong Kong Looks On Nervously as China Respiratory Illnesses Rise - BNN Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Health authorities in Hong Kong are watching a rise in respiratory illnesses in China closely, urging schools and the general public to take precautions as outbreaks on the mainland, particularly among children, surge. 

A mix of common respiratory pathogens, including mycoplasma pneumoniae, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus and influenza, are starting to cause more illness in Guangdong, the Chinese province that borders Hong Kong, after triggering an explosion of diseases in northern China, the official Xinhua News Agency reported earlier this week. Some pediatric wards in China are receiving two or three times the number of patients than before, according to the report. 

As winter flu season descends upon Hong Kong, there are concerns infections in mainland China could spread, considering the hundreds and thousands of residents and travelers who cross the border every day.

Hong Kong’s government on Monday reported an outbreak of upper respiratory tract infections at a primary school in eastern Kowloon. Some 24 students aged from six to 11 developed symptoms starting from early November but all are in a stable condition. The school has been placed under medical surveillance, Hong Kong’s Department of Health said.

The Department of Health said last week that there have been other school outbreaks of mycoplasma pneumoniae and parainfluenza viruses, which again mainly impact young children, and reminded education facilities to stay vigilant.

The department also urged those people with respiratory symptoms to wear masks, refrain from going to work or to school and seek medical advice.

China’s steady increase in child pneumonia cases prompted the World Health Organization to last week ask Beijing for more detailed information about the jump. Officials in China said known germs were causing the outbreak — most commonly mycoplasma pneumoniae, a bacterial infection that typically leads to mild colds in older children and adults but can cause more serious illness in younger kids.

Taiwan’s government meanwhile on Thursday advised elderly people and young children not to travel to China unless necessary, adding that officials will be on high alert and may adjust related epidemic prevention measures depending on the situation.

©2023 Bloomberg L.P.

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Hong Kong Looks On Nervously as China Respiratory Illnesses Rise - BNN Bloomberg
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