The Hospital Authority has confirmed that a 37-year-old woman has died of a drug-resistant bacterium infection.

She was hospitalised December 24 for head and neck pain, and died December 31. She tested positive to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

She had no history of hospitalisation in the last year. The Centre for Health Protection is investigating her travel and contact history. Her family members have been put under medical surveillance.

The bacterium is resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics, and is a common infection worldwide, usually associated with hospital settings. It can also be found in people previously hospitalised.

It is widely recognised that indiscriminate use of antibiotics can contribute to antibiotics resistance.