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Health officials in Hong Kong have urged travelers to exercise caution when visiting Japan after a sharp rise in the number of rubella cases during a local outbreak.
The city's health protection center said that children under 1 year old should not travel to Japan, a popular holiday destination for Hong Kongers, as they were not yet vaccinated under the program. vaccination of children.
All pregnant women and those who are preparing for pregnancy and who were not immune from infection should not travel to Japan during the epidemic, the center said. . Rubella infection during pregnancy can lead to abnormal development of the fetus, especially during the first trimester.
In the last six weeks, 914 cases have been reported, the majority of the 1,289 cases recorded this year last Wednesday. Only 93, 126 and 163 cases were recorded in 2017, 2016 and 2015 respectively.
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The cumulative incidence of this year was highest in Chiba Prefecture (37.6 cases per million inhabitants), followed by Tokyo (32 cases per million inhabitants) and prefecture Kanagawa (17.9 cases per million inhabitants).
Rubella is a highly infectious disease, with symptoms such as cough, runny nose, low fever and a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.
The center said that the disease could be transmitted by contact with the secretions of the nose and throat of infected people by spreading droplets or by direct contact with patients.
Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent the disease. Vaccines are usually given in a combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
People planning to go to Japan were asked to review their vaccination history and medical history, the center said.
Those who have received a rubella-containing vaccine, have been confirmed to have rubella or have a positive blood test for rubella antibodies are considered immunized against this disease. All other groups are considered non-immune.
Those who have not received rubella vaccine, have an unknown vaccination history, or have unknown immunity to rubella, should consult their doctor about this.
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The center liaises with the World Health Organization and the Japanese health authorities while continuing to monitor the situation.
As of Monday, the center had recorded six rubella cases in the city this year, involving two men and four women aged three to 65 years old.
Children receive the first dose of MMR vaccine at the age of one year, followed by a second dose of primary injection as part of the childhood immunization program.
At the end of March, a measles outbreak was reported in Okinawa following the visit of an infected Taiwanese man to the Japanese prefecture. Cases have also been recorded in other parts of Japan. The epidemic ended in June.
In Japan, a sharp increase in the number of rubella cases in Japan prompt Hong Kong health authorities to issue a warning about their first trip to South China Morning Post
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