June 8, 2001
The Director of Health, Dr Margaret Chan expressed her concern about five confirmed cholera cases and one suspected cholera case reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region since Tuesday (June 5).
Dr Chan said today (June 8): " I would like to assure members of the public that the Government would conduct thorough investigations into the cholera cases."
"The Department of Health (DH) and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department would work closely to identify possible sources."
The fifth cholera case was confirmed today (June 8) and involved a 45-year-old woman living in Tsing Yi. She suffered from diarrhoea and was admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital today (June 8). She is in stable condition.
As with the previous four local cases, the woman had not travelled outside Hong Kong during the incubation period and the case was also classified as a local one.
The suspected cholera case involved a 38-year-old woman living in Kwai Chung. She suffered from diarrhoea and was transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital today (June 8). She is also in stable condition. Investigations into the case are continuing.
Dr Chan said the best way to prevent cholera and other food-borne diseases was to observe good personal, food and environmental hygiene at all times.
To prevent getting the disease, Dr Chan said members of the public should:
To-date six confirmed cholera cases were reported in Hong Kong this (2001) year, the first one was an imported case in May and the other five cases in June were local ones.