Press Release

Update on cholera

December 16, 2000

The Department of Health (DH) today (December 16) urged members of the public to be on guard against cholera following the confirmation of a local cholera case in Hong Kong.

A spokesman for DH said, "The best way to prevent cholera and other food-borne diseases is to observe good personal, food and environmental hygiene at all times."

The case involved a 53-year-old woman living in Eastern District. She suffered from watery diarrhoea on December 9 and was admitted to hospital on December 13. She is now in stable condition.

DH had given health education to her family members who were asymptomatic. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department had disinfected the patient's home and inspected the market stall she had patronized and collected food samples for laboratory testing.

To prevent cholera, members of the public should:

• Keep the environment clean;
• Store food in refrigerator (at 4 degrees Celsius or below) and adequately reheat leftover food before consumption;
• Clean food thoroughly;
• Wash hands before preparing food and after going to toilets;
• Keep raw and cooked food separately;
• High risk food, like seafood should be thoroughly cooked.

Eleven confirmed cholera cases were reported in Hong Kong this (2000) year. Of these, four were imported cases and seven were local cases.