Hong Kong cases of ‘public enemy No 1’ superbug more than double in 2018, prompting Hospital Authority to unveil five-point plan to halt the spread

  • CPE bug detected in patients 972 times last year, up from 473 in 2017
  • Authorities believe the superbug was locally transmitted and in response have stepped up the speed of detection and isolation in hospitals

There were 972 cases of carbapenemase-producing enterobacteriaceae (CPE) detected in Hong Kong last year. Photo: Handout

The number of Hong Kong patients diagnosed with a superbug that has been dubbed “public enemy No 1” more than doubled last year, with fears the increase in cases of the virus was driven by people eating bacteria-infected food or poor personal hygiene.

Hospital bosses have moved to quell worries among the public with a five-point plan to combat the spread of a range of superbugs, which includes more active screening for patients deemed high risk, issuing guidelines to local doctors to reduce the use of antibiotics where possible, and strengthening environmental hygiene.

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