Alert for fast-spreading killer virus from Taiwan
HEALTH authorities are on alert for signs of a fast-spreading virus which has killed 17 newborn babies and children and infected 100,000 in Taiwan.
Taiwanese doctors predict the enterovirus type 71 will infect 500,000 to 600,000 children in the island - or one-third of its youngsters.
'If there is an outbreak of cases [here] we will get a report from our virus laboratory,' a Department of Health spokeswoman said last night.
'Since we have not picked up an outbreak in Hong Kong, we will be keeping an alert for it. We need to follow it up.
'Travel restrictions are not something that's recommended for communicable diseases.' The enterovirus was a subtype of the Coxsackie virus - blamed for the deaths of about 30 infants in the Malaysian state of Sarawak last year - which showed up sporadically in Hong Kong.
'It affects children more because their immunity to this virus is low,' the spokeswoman said.
'Being very careful with personal hygiene is good prevention.
'The mode of transmission is oral. The source is not in food, but the virus enters through the mouth.' University of Hong Kong Professor of Microbiology Yuen Kwok-yung said the virus was transmitted by the oral-faecal route, or by touching virus-carrying mucus cells - such as the eyes - of an infected person.
Once in the gastrointestinal tract, the virus circulated through the blood and could cause inflammation of the brain cells, the heart or the central nervous system.
'It can kill off brain cells,' Professor Yuen said.
The deaths of newborns was 'extremely unusual, unless the water supply is contaminated by sewage or human-to-human transmission is very strong', he said.
But the death rate - 0.017 per cent in Taiwanese patients - was very low.
'Even German measles would have a similar death rate. It's more of a nuisance, unlike the bird flu which killed one-third of patients,' Professor Yuen said.
Children who contracted the virus could have no symptoms, or display flu-like fevers or sore throats.
If the virus reached the heart, brain or nervous system, it could cause breathlessness, body swelling, convulsions or a change in mental state. Only the symptoms could be treated.
'There is very little you can do,' Professor Yuen said.
'At present there is no antiviral therapy for this particular virus. Usually people get well themselves - the body develops an immunity.' It was possible for the virus to spread to Hong Kong, although its clean water supply and good personal hygiene should prevent an outbreak, he said.
The Department of Health said fatal cases were relatively rare and stressed the virus was generally not airborne.
