Press Release

Cholera Update

July 23, 2001

The Department of Health (DH) today (July 23) reminded 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 contracting cholera and other food-borne diseases is to observe good personal, food and environmental hygiene at all times."

The case involved a 59-year-old man living in Southern District. He is now in hospital in stable condition.

The man suffered from diarrhoea and was admitted to hospital yesterday (July 22). He had not travelled outside Hong Kong during the incubation period.

The patient's family member was asymptomatic. Joint investigation by DH and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) is continuing.

To prevent getting the disease, members of the public should:

• Clean food thoroughly and ensure they are adequately cooked before consumption;
• Wash hands before eating and after going to the toilet;
• Raw and cooked food should be handled with separate utensils;
• Keep raw and cooked food separately;
• Store food in refrigerator at 4 degrees Celsius or below and adequately reheat leftover food before consumption; and
• Keep the environment clean.

To-date 12 confirmed cholera cases were reported in Hong Kong this (2001) year. Of these, one was an imported case reported in May and 11 were local cases reported in June and July.