Scarlet fever outbreak in Hong Kong linked to virulent new strain

June 25, 2011 – HONG KONG – Hong Kong health authorities on Thursday confirmed that a five-year-old boy had died from scarlet fever, the second death in the southern Chinese city as dozens of new cases were reported. The number of infections in the territory has soared above 500, according to health authorities, who said that more than 9,000 people had been infected in the Chinese mainland — doubling the average figure in recent years. Local scientists said the outbreak may be linked to a deadly new strain of the disease which could make it more contagious than before. It was discovered by researchers at the University of Hong Kong and appears to be resistant to antibiotics traditionally used to fight the illness. “Test results showed that the five-year-old boy who died on Tuesday is confirmed to have suffered from scarlet fever,” a spokeswoman from the Centre for Health Protection told AFP. The test result was released late Wednesday. The second fatality comes after the illness, which mainly affects children aged between two and eight, claimed the life of a seven-year-old girl last month. It was the first recorded death in the city in at least a decade, according to the Centre for Health Protection. The government said Tuesday that the boy, who had chicken pox prior to his death, was “very likely” a victim of scarlet fever, after declaring an outbreak of the disease in the city of seven million. –Terra Daily

(c) Al Jazeera 2011