Anne Zhang

    zhangy49@gmail.com

    A 55-YEAR-OLD woman from Hainan Province who had suffered from constant coughing, shortness of breath and itchiness since she was diagnosed with a rare disease half a year ago has recovered after treatment at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) Shenzhen Hospital.

    The woman, surnamed Luo, suffered from mycobacterium abscessus, an atypical virus that can cause fever, post-traumatic wound infections, and cutaneous diseases, mostly in patients with suppressed immune systems, according to doctors at the hospital.

    The virus is rare and only 10 cases in Asia have been recorded in international medical journals.

    The virus has a strong resistance to antibiotics and infections are difficult to treat, said Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, chief of service of the hospital’s Department of Microbiology.

    Luo started coughing, having skin rashes and lymphatic swelling in her neck and shortness of breath after she was bitten by a mouse in March. She had seen doctors in several hospitals before being transferred to the HKU Shenzhen Hospital in May.

    The hospital formed a team of experts from different departments to work on Luo’s case.

    A pathological examination of Luo’s lymphatic mass in the neck revealed that she had been infected with mycobacterium abscessus. Yuen said Luo has an abnormal antibody that disturbed her body’s immune system, making it hard to get rid of the virus.

    After intensive treatment and care at the hospital, Luo’s health started improving and she was discharged earlier this month.

    But doctors said Luo still needs to continue taking injections of a certain medicine. Each injection costs 12,000 yuan (US$1,955), putting a financial burden on Luo’s family.

    Doctors said mycobacterium abscessus exists in soil and polluted water and can be transmitted by mice, which people should avoid contact with.