Press Release

Update on Cholera

August 11, 2000

The Department of Health (DH) today (August 11) reiterated that members of the public should observe good personal, food and environmental hygiene at all times to prevent the spread of cholera following the confirmation of two more cholera cases in Hong Kong.

The patients are a one-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl living in Yuen Long. They are in stable condition in Princess Margaret Hospital.

The Consultant (Community Medicine) of DH, Dr Tse Lai-yin said: "Parents should take proper care of their children who are more susceptible to the disease than adults, to ensure good personal, food and environmental hygiene."

To prevent having cholera, members of the public should:

• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before preparing food and after going to toilets;
• Wash hands after changing diapers;
• Clean and disinfect feeding bottles properly;
• Soak soiled linen in diluted household bleach with a ratio of 1:99 for 30 minutes before washing;
• Clean surfaces soiled by faeces or vomitus immediately with diluted household bleach with a ratio of 1:49 before rinsing with water;
• Clean toys frequently by immersing in diluted household bleach with a ratio of 1:99 for 30 minutes before rinsing with water;
• Clean food thoroughly and ensure they are adequately cooked before consumption; and
• Store food in refrigerator (at 4 degrees Celsius or below) and adequately reheat leftover food before consumption.

Dr Tse said the two patients were living with a seven-month-old girl who was confirmed on Wednesday (August 9) to have contracted cholera. She is also in stable condition in Princess Margaret Hospital.

Investigations by DH revealed that the one-year-old boy who had developed diarrhoea on July 28 this (2000) year, arrived at Hong Kong with one of his parents on July 29. His case is classified as an imported case.

The two-year-old girl had developed diarrhoea on Monday (August 7) and had not travelled outside Hong Kong during the incubation period. Her case is classified as a local one.

It was suspected that the one-year-old boy might be the source of infection and the disease might have spread through close contact between the three children or contaminated food, drinks or environment.

Staff of DH had visited their home again on August 9 to follow up the progress of disinfection work and reinforce health education.

To date, there were five confirmed cases of cholera reported in Hong Kong this (2000) year. Of these, two were imported cases and three were local cases.