Sixth patient infected by deadly fungus in Hong Kong hospital
Elderly woman suffering from chronic kidney disease is latest victim of outbreak at Queen Mary Hospital that has claimed two lives
She is the sixth patient to be infected with mucormycosis at the public hospital since June. Two patient deaths have been linked to the infection.
The Hospital Authority said the latest patient returned to the hospital to receive haemodialysis on Saturday, a day before linen in high-risk wards of the hospital were replaced for fear of contamination.
The authority said in a statement: "As redness and discharge were found on the skin of the patient near the haemodialysis catheter, a swab was taken for fungal culture and mucormycosis infection was confirmed at noon [yesterday]."
The latest infected patient is in a stable condition, it added.
Since Sunday, 14 public hospitals and a clinic have stopped using bed sheets and clothes handled by a Sham Wan laundry operated by ISS Mediclean (HK), where linen samples were found to contain the fungus.
