Measles in Hong Kong: how the city is responding to the growing outbreak across Asia
- There have been 67 cases of measles recorded in the city over the last four months. Twenty-nine of those were workers at Hong Kong airport
- The Philippines has reported 23,000 cases with 333 deaths in 2019 – there have been no measles-related deaths in Hong Kong this year
An outbreak of measles that has infected thousands of people across Asia and continues to spread, is sparking concerns in Hong Kong about the preparedness of travellers, especially over the recent Easter holiday.
A growing number of cases recorded in Hong Kong over the last four months, including a cluster of cases at the city’s international airport, has put local health authorities on high alert.
The Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection, which is under the Department of Health, says 67 cases of measles were recorded in the city between the end of December, last year, and April 20. Among those stricken with the virus were 29 workers at Hong Kong International Airport. The index patient is believed to be a 41-year-old Cathay Pacific pilot returning from the Philippine capital, Manila.
The group of airport cases is bigger than any viral cluster that was seen in Hong Kong during the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) in 2003, which caused 1,755 infections in total, resulting in 299 deaths. So far, however, there have been no measles-related deaths recorded in Hong Kong, this year.
Dr Takeshi Kasai, World Health Organisation (WHO) regional director for the Western Pacific, which includes Hong Kong and China, is concerned about the significant spike in Asian measles cases seen since last year, particularly in the Philippines. A number of cases have also been seen in Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan.
