Man infected with rat hepatitis E, Hong Kong’s first case this year
Patient, 42, says he did not encounter rodents at home or at work before positive test on May 5, while three household contacts remain asymptomatic
Health authorities are investigating a human case of rat hepatitis E – the first recorded in Hong Kong this year – and have urged the public to observe good hygiene practices and use effective rodent control measures.
“Based on current epidemiological data, the CHP considered that the patient was more likely to have acquired the infection locally,” he said.
The case marks the first instance of a human infected by rat hepatitis E this year.
According to the CHP, the patient said he had not been in direct contact with rats, and had not seen any rodents at his home or workplace, both located in Hung Hom.
The South China Morning Post learned that the man lived at Laguna Verde, a private housing estate, and worked at One Harbourfront.
The spokesman added that the man had taken brief trips in April, but no rat hepatitis E virus cases had been reported so far in those destinations. The spokesman did not reveal where those locations were.