HONG KONG, Nov. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- The staff of the Hong Kong Center for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health hasperformed contact tracing on over 300 healthcare workers, their home contacts, visitors and patients discharged from the pediatrics wards of the Caritas Medical Center (CMC).

    Among those contacts who reported fever and respiratory symptoms, two were health care workers who have now recovered, and four were discharged patients from the pediatrics ward.

    The latter are admitted to isolation wards of Princess MargaretHospital in stable condition. Laboratory tests for three of discharged patients showed adenovirus in 2 and parainfluenza type 3 in one. Adenovirus and parainfluenza virus are common viruses inthe community.

    The CHP along with the Hospital Authority are now closely monitoring the situation and the implementation of infection control measures in CMC.

    As of Saturday noon, a total of 34 children, 20 boys and 14 girls, aged between four and 17, were involved in an outbreak of respiratory illness at the Developmental Disabilities Unit of Caritas Medical Center. No new cases have been reported in CMC in the past 24 hours.

    Laboratory tests performed at the University of Hong Kong have earlier produced positive results to parainfluenza virus (PIV) (type 4) in some clinical specimens. Tests on more samples are underway. Enditem