Press Release
Advice to Doctors on Imported Cases of Cholera
17 March 1998
From 1st January to 17th March 1998, the Department of Health has confirmed a total of 30 cholera cases who had history of travelling outside Hong Kong during the incubation period. They all presented with vomiting and diarrhoea while some had abdominal pain.
In the majority of the above imported cases, the bacteria isolated are Vibrio cholerae El tor, Ogawa. They are resistant to tetracycline, chloramphenicol, co-trimoxazole but sensitive to ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin.
Doctor are advised to watch out for the possibility of cholera in patients who developed vomiting and diarrhoea during or after travelling to overseas countries. Fluid replacement is most essential to prevent or correct dehydration. To prevent further spread of the disease, antibiotic treatment could be offered to the patient if the diagnosis of cholera is suspected while pending laboratory confirmation. The patient should be advised not to cook or handle food. If the patient's occupation is a food handler, please advise him/her to abstain from work and inform the Department of Health accordingly.
In view of the drug sensitivity pattern, ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin are drugs of choice to treat cholera but they are contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to the drugs. They should not be used in children, adolescents or pregnant mothers unless the benefits outweigh the risks. If the symptoms persist or there are symptoms and signs of dehydration etc, the patient should be referred to hospitals for further management.
All the suspected and confirmed cases of cholera should be notified to Department of Health. The telephone and facsimile numbers are as below :
| Tel. No. | Fax | |
| DH Headquarter | 2961 8570 | 2893 9425 |
| Hong KongRegional Office | 2961 8736 | 2836 0293 |
| KowloonRegional Office | 2199 9100Ext 143 | 2311 7537 |
| NT EastRegional Office | 2684 5142 | 2603 0523 |
| NT WestRegional Office | 2413 8388Ext 27 | 2439 9622 |
The notification forms (Form DH1(s)) can be downloaded or printed out from here.