Press Release

Update on suspected food poisoning case in Sha Tin

31 October 2014

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (October 31) provided an update of its investigation announced on October 29 into a suspected case of food poisoning in which about 300 persons had dinner at a food premises in Sha Tin on October 26.

Subsequent to its follow-up investigations, the CHP has so far reached 60 persons and 23 more people were identified. Similar to the earlier cases announced on October 29, all the affected persons developed abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and fever after eating a banquet.

The newly identified cases involve 11 males and 12 females aged 22 to 69. Nineteen of them sought medical consultation and two of them required hospitalisation. All the affected persons are currently in stable condition.

This brings to 51 the total number of persons affected so far. Investigation is still proceeding.

To prevent food-borne diseases, members of the public are reminded to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene at all times. When dining out:

• Eat thoroughly cooked food;
• Avoid eating raw seafood;
• Be a discerning consumer in choosing cold dishes, including sashimi, sushi and raw oysters, at a buffet;
• Patronise only reliable and licensed restaurants;
• Do not patronise illegal food hawkers;
• Drink boiled water;
• Use two sets of chopsticks and eating utensils to handle raw and cooked food;
• Do not try to use salt, vinegar, wine and wasabi to kill bacteria as they are not effective; and
• Always wash hands before eating and after going to the toilet.