August 30, 2001
The Department of Health today (August 30) 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 that the case involved a 74-year-old woman living in Wong Tai Sin District. She is suspected to have contracted the disease due to inadequate cooking of seafood. She is now in Princess Margaret Hospital and is in stable condition.
The woman suffered from diarrhoea last Friday (August 24). She had not traveled outside Hong Kong during the incubation period.
The patient's home had been disinfected.
Joint investigation by DH and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department is continuing.
The spokesman said, "The best way to prevent contracting cholera and other food-borne diseases is to observe good food, personal and environmental hygiene at all times."
Members of the public should:
* Clean food, especially seafood, thoroughly and ensure they are adequately cooked before consumption;
* Wash hands before eating and after going to toilets;
* Raw and cooked food should be handled with separate utensils;
* Keep raw and cooked food separately;
* Store food in refrigerator (at four degrees celcius or below) and adequately reheat leftover food before consumption; and
* Keep the environment clean.
To-date 18 confirmed cholera cases were reported in Hong Kong this (2001) year. Of these, one was an imported case and 17 were local cases.