22 May 2009
A spokesman for the Department of Health today (May 22) said the Government had amended the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance (Cap. 599) to include human swine influenza virus type A (subtype H1) to the list of infectious agents specified in the Schedule 2 to the Ordinance.
Noting that the amendment had been gazetted and came into effect today, the spokesman said the Ordinance required the owner or the person in charge of a laboratory to notify the Director of Health immediately the leakage of any infectious agent specified in Schedule 2 to the Ordinance in the laboratory that may pose a public health risk.
As human swine influenza virus type A (subtype H1) is a potentially dangerous pathogen, it is important for incidents of leakage of the virus from laboratories to be subject to the statutory notification requirement, so as to facilitate early detection of such incidents, and to enable appropriate control measures to be implemented in a timely manner for the protection of laboratory workers and prevention of spread of diseases.
The DH has sent letters to all laboratories to inform them of the legislative amendment and reporting requirement.
Notification of any leakage incidents in laboratories can be made to the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch, Centre for Health Protection at 6505 4264.