Superbug big risk for Filipinos, study says

Ethnic minorities, particularly Filipino domestic helpers, are at high risk of contracting a superbug infection, probably due to excessive use of antibiotics and other behavioural factors, according to a landmark study.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), or golden staph, is resistant to some of the strongest antibiotics and usually manifests itself as skin or soft-tissue infections. More serious complications may include pneumonia or septicaemia, which is blood poisoning.

The University of Hong Kong studied 300 members of ethnic minorities and local Chinese treated for skin and soft-tissue infections at six public hospitals last year.

Ho Pak-leung, associate professor in microbiology at HKU, said: 'We looked at behavioural and other factors, such as, are they using a lot of antibiotics, and do they participate in activities that may facilitate the spread of this organism?'

He said the study, to be published next month in an international journal, might lead to prevention measures targeting ethnic minorities.

Of 155 community-acquired cases of the infection reported to the Centre for Health Protection from January to November, 91 involved Chinese and 33 Filipinos. The remaining involved five Americans, five Indians, two each from Nepal, Australia, Denmark and England, and one from Spain, Lebanon, Ireland, Canada, Africa, Spain and Pakistan. The nationalities of six were unknown.