MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

By Lynn Herrmann – “Hong Kong – A scarlet fever outbreak in Hong Kong, thought to be a mutant strain resistant to antibiotics, claimed the life of a second child on Tuesday and health officials there state they are dealing with ‘an epidemic.’

Hong Kong officials have recorded 494 cases of scarlet fever this year, more than triple the total for 2010. It is the city’s highest annual total. Thomas Tsang, controller for Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection, said: ‘We are facing an epidemic because the bacteria that is causing scarlet fever is widely circulating in this region — not only in Hong Kong but in mainland China and Macau,’ according to Asia Pacific News (APN).

In mainland China, more than 9,000 people have been infected this year, double the numbers of recent years. Increased transmission of the disease is believed caused by a unique gene fragment in the bacteria’s genome, a health protection centre statement said, APN notes.” Read more.