The spokesperson for Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH) made the following announcement today (February 14):

An one-month-old baby girl admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of PWH was confirmed on January 28 to be infected with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). She was prescribed with antibiotics and put under isolation. The baby is now in stable condition.

In accordance with the prevailing guidelines, PWH has screened patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the Special Care Baby Unit. It has been confirmed so far that six patients (five males and one female, aged from eight days to one year) were MRSA carriers, all without clinical symptoms. All have been treated under isolation with stable condition, and one of them has been discharged.

The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection (CHP). The infection control team of PWH had a meeting today with experts from the Hospital Authority and the CHP. The following enhanced infection control measures have been adopted:

1. Isolating infected patients and carriers in a designated cubicle of the same ward. Patients are being cared for by designated nursing staff to prevent cross-transmission;
2. Ensuring all staff and visitors entering the designated cubicle wear personal protective equipment;
3. Continuing to screen new patients who are admitted to the wards concerned;
4. Enhancing environmental hygiene in the wards;
5. Implementing a hand hygiene audit for staff and reminding staff to pay special attention to procedures with higher risk of cross-transmission; and
6. Continuing to monitor the health condition of patients in the wards.