HK report of Pinoys as 'Superbug' carriers hit
KIMBERLY JANE T. TAN, GMANews.TV
MANILA, Philippines - More groups have scored as misleading a Hong Kong-based newspaper's report saying Filipinos in Hong Kong are carriers of the infectious disease Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), more popularly known as the “Superbug."
The Standard reported on Feb. 25 that about 126,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong are 23 times more likely to be infected by MRSA than the local Chinese.
Staphylococcus Aureus is a bacteria usually found on skin and in mucus, which can cause skin and wound infections, food poisoning, urinary tract problems, and even potentially fatal conditions like pneumonia and infection of the bloodstream.
The report cited the Hong Kong Center for Health Protection as saying the infection was rarely seen among Indonesian domestic helpers, who are just 3,000 behind Filipinos in terms of number, prompting Hong Kong University microbiologist Ho Pak-leung to say that the bacteria might have been carried from the Philippines.
“We are aware that Singapore, which has also hired a lot of Filipino domestic helpers, faces the same problem," Ho said.
The Standard report claimed the Center recorded a total of 173 cases of community-associated MRSA in 2007 - the year it became an identifiable disease. However, the number of cases jumped to 274 in 2008.
It added that of all the community-associated MRSA infections in Hong Kong, 61 percent are Chinese, 21 percent Filipinos, 10 percent Caucasians, and 5 percent other Asians.
The attack rates, as reported by the newspaper, was 1.3 for every 100,000 Chinese, acompared with 30 per 100,000 Filipinos and 38 in 100,000 Caucasians.
Most strains of the Superbug can be treated with antibiotics, but it is reportedly resistant to penicillin and cephalosporin.
“For the concerns of public health, we - as microbiologists and doctors - would like the government to take prompt action to curb the spread of MRSA before the situation in Hong Kong reaches that of the United States," said Ho.
He added that this kind of issue is sensitive, bordering on racial discrimination.
“Maybe it would be fair to require all foreign workers to be screened for MRSA before they come to Hong Kong, regardless of their nationality," he said.
Conflicting data
Earlier this week, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wrote to The Standard’s editor-in-chief Ivan Tong to protest the way the report was presented.
In the letter, AHRC program assistant Danilo Reyes told Tong of their responsibility “take necessary action to protect Filipinos from losing their employment or being needlessly discriminated against by making appropriate corrections as it is required."
He said they wrote the letter because they had been bombarded with requests from fellow Filipinos who were reportedly too frightened of being identified.
Reyes said he wrote to the Hong Kong Center for Health Protection (CHP) about the article that came out and that Dr. Andrew Lau said in his reply on Feb. 27 that the report did not represent the views of the CHP.
“Dr. Lau also said of the 274 cases reported in 2008, infections on Filipinos were about 14 percent, contrary to that 21 percent that your paper has reported. He also added that 'further studies are needed to explain the observation that some ethnic groups were found to be over-represented in the notified cases," Reyes said.
With Lau’s letter, the AHRC asked The Standard to provide the “rational explanations" on what basis their report was made.
“Thus, it is also the duty of your paper to either explain clearly, or to make correction should there be inaccuracies committed in the reporting," he said.
Dismay
Meanwhile, a group of Filipino domestic helpers also expressed their dismay over the issue in a separate statement on Friday.
“As if the current economic crisis gripping the world is not enough to make women migrants vulnerable to violations of rights and more severe exploitation, now comes unproven accusations that Filipino domestic helpers are bringers of sickness," said Cynthia Abdon-Tellez, director of the service and advocacy group Mission for Migrant Workers.
She said that the outcry that The Standard article had generated was “understandable and justified given the grave impacts the hysteria is going to cause to Filipino domestic helpers."
“An irresponsible charge such as this puts the rights and job security of an entire section of the ethnic minorities in HK in mortal peril. These women are already anxious if the financial crisis will cost them their job and they don’t definitely need another worry over their heads," she said.
In addition, Tellez said that the call for mandatory testing was not the real solution toward the prevention of the MRSA.
“[On the other hand, it] shall spread further the serious social illness of discrimination, exclusion and migrants rights violations," she said.
A standard health check for domestic helpers already exists, covering hepatitis B, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS at a cost of about HK $750 or almost P5,000. A laboratory test for MRSA is about HK$300 or almost P3,000.
Moreover, the migrant leader said that the practice of mandatory testing was “geared towards answering the need for profit and thus, [it] is conducted to…further reduce [migrants] to the level of commodities."
“What happens is that the targeted group becomes a pariah of the society. Women domestic workers in Hong Kong are already reduced as third-class citizens of Hong Kong. Will HongKong be a truly heartless society to migrants?" she said.
Tellez also said that they would prefer to just be provided with the adequate health services and not “more discrimination as women and as migrants."
“As domestic workers, women migrants have to endure dangerous, dirty and difficult jobs. This is on top of the particular health needs they have as women," she said. - GMANews.TV
MANILA, Philippines - More groups have scored as misleading a Hong Kong-based newspaper's report saying Filipinos in Hong Kong are carriers of the infectious disease Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), more popularly known as the “Superbug."
The Standard reported on Feb. 25 that about 126,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong are 23 times more likely to be infected by MRSA than the local Chinese.
Staphylococcus Aureus is a bacteria usually found on skin and in mucus, which can cause skin and wound infections, food poisoning, urinary tract problems, and even potentially fatal conditions like pneumonia and infection of the bloodstream.
The report cited the Hong Kong Center for Health Protection as saying the infection was rarely seen among Indonesian domestic helpers, who are just 3,000 behind Filipinos in terms of number, prompting Hong Kong University microbiologist Ho Pak-leung to say that the bacteria might have been carried from the Philippines.
“We are aware that Singapore, which has also hired a lot of Filipino domestic helpers, faces the same problem," Ho said.
The Standard report claimed the Center recorded a total of 173 cases of community-associated MRSA in 2007 - the year it became an identifiable disease. However, the number of cases jumped to 274 in 2008.
It added that of all the community-associated MRSA infections in Hong Kong, 61 percent are Chinese, 21 percent Filipinos, 10 percent Caucasians, and 5 percent other Asians.
The attack rates, as reported by the newspaper, was 1.3 for every 100,000 Chinese, acompared with 30 per 100,000 Filipinos and 38 in 100,000 Caucasians.
Most strains of the Superbug can be treated with antibiotics, but it is reportedly resistant to penicillin and cephalosporin.
“For the concerns of public health, we - as microbiologists and doctors - would like the government to take prompt action to curb the spread of MRSA before the situation in Hong Kong reaches that of the United States," said Ho.
He added that this kind of issue is sensitive, bordering on racial discrimination.
“Maybe it would be fair to require all foreign workers to be screened for MRSA before they come to Hong Kong, regardless of their nationality," he said.
Conflicting data
Earlier this week, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wrote to The Standard’s editor-in-chief Ivan Tong to protest the way the report was presented.
In the letter, AHRC program assistant Danilo Reyes told Tong of their responsibility “take necessary action to protect Filipinos from losing their employment or being needlessly discriminated against by making appropriate corrections as it is required."
He said they wrote the letter because they had been bombarded with requests from fellow Filipinos who were reportedly too frightened of being identified.
Reyes said he wrote to the Hong Kong Center for Health Protection (CHP) about the article that came out and that Dr. Andrew Lau said in his reply on Feb. 27 that the report did not represent the views of the CHP.
“Dr. Lau also said of the 274 cases reported in 2008, infections on Filipinos were about 14 percent, contrary to that 21 percent that your paper has reported. He also added that 'further studies are needed to explain the observation that some ethnic groups were found to be over-represented in the notified cases," Reyes said.
With Lau’s letter, the AHRC asked The Standard to provide the “rational explanations" on what basis their report was made.
“Thus, it is also the duty of your paper to either explain clearly, or to make correction should there be inaccuracies committed in the reporting," he said.
Dismay
Meanwhile, a group of Filipino domestic helpers also expressed their dismay over the issue in a separate statement on Friday.
“As if the current economic crisis gripping the world is not enough to make women migrants vulnerable to violations of rights and more severe exploitation, now comes unproven accusations that Filipino domestic helpers are bringers of sickness," said Cynthia Abdon-Tellez, director of the service and advocacy group Mission for Migrant Workers.
She said that the outcry that The Standard article had generated was “understandable and justified given the grave impacts the hysteria is going to cause to Filipino domestic helpers."
“An irresponsible charge such as this puts the rights and job security of an entire section of the ethnic minorities in HK in mortal peril. These women are already anxious if the financial crisis will cost them their job and they don’t definitely need another worry over their heads," she said.
In addition, Tellez said that the call for mandatory testing was not the real solution toward the prevention of the MRSA.
“[On the other hand, it] shall spread further the serious social illness of discrimination, exclusion and migrants rights violations," she said.
A standard health check for domestic helpers already exists, covering hepatitis B, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS at a cost of about HK $750 or almost P5,000. A laboratory test for MRSA is about HK$300 or almost P3,000.
Moreover, the migrant leader said that the practice of mandatory testing was “geared towards answering the need for profit and thus, [it] is conducted to…further reduce [migrants] to the level of commodities."
“What happens is that the targeted group becomes a pariah of the society. Women domestic workers in Hong Kong are already reduced as third-class citizens of Hong Kong. Will HongKong be a truly heartless society to migrants?" she said.
Tellez also said that they would prefer to just be provided with the adequate health services and not “more discrimination as women and as migrants."
“As domestic workers, women migrants have to endure dangerous, dirty and difficult jobs. This is on top of the particular health needs they have as women," she said. - GMANews.TV
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