The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (April 16) investigating a suspected poisoning case after consumption of self-prepared wine containing taxus, and appealed to members of the public to be cautious of the risk of poisoning from consumption of taxus-containing substances.

     Upon notification by the Hospital Authority, the CHP immediately commenced epidemiological investigation. The case involves a 57-year-old man with good past health who developed muscle pain, lower limbs weakness and numbness 30 minutes after consumption of wine containing taxus on April 14. He sought medical attention at the Accident and Emergency Department of Ruttonjee Hospital on the same day and was admitted. He was subsequently transferred to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital last night for further management. He is now in a serious condition. The clinical specimen of the patient and the remnants of the wine have been sent to a laboratory for analysis and the result is pending.
 
     Preliminary investigation revealed that the patient consumed the wine containing taxus with three friends, who remain asymptomatic so far. The wine was self-prepared by one of his friends a few years ago using taxus obtained in the Mainland. Investigation is still continuing.
 
     "Taxus is a genus of toxic tree known as yew. All species of yew contain highly poisonous taxine alkaloids. Severe poisoning after consumption of yew has also been reported in literature. Patients may first present with gastrointestinal symptoms, and onset of other symptoms such as muscle weakness generally occurs within three to four hours after consumption. In severe cases, tachycardia followed by bradycardia, hypotension, respiratory depression, convulsions and coma will occur. Death may also result in severe cases. At present, there is no specific antidote," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     "Members of the public should not self-make and consume food or drinks containing taxus or unknown plants to avoid poisoning. If poisoning related to the consumption of related food or drink is suspected, the patient should seek immediate medical attention," the spokesman advised.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (April 16) urged the public not to consume a kind of cheese imported from France due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a pathogen. The trade should stop using or selling the product concerned immediately if they possess it.
      
     Product details are as follows:
      
Product name: Cheese Brillat Savarin
Brand: Bordier
Place of origin: France
Importer: Classic Fine Foods (Hong Kong) Ltd
Lot No.: 352702, 352203, 352802 and 352803
Best-before dates: April 12 to May 7, 2019
      
     "The CFS received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission that the above-mentioned product might have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and was being recalled. According to the information provided by the RASFF, a local importer, Classic Fine Foods (Hong Kong) Ltd, had imported some of the affected product into Hong Kong," a spokesman for the CFS said.
      
     The CFS immediately contacted the importer concerned for follow-up. Preliminary investigation found the importer had imported 11 pieces of the affected product and all of them had been distributed. The importer has initiated a recall according to the CFS' instructions. Enquiries about the recall can be made to the importer's hotline at 2612 2066 during office hours.
      
     "Listeria monocytogenes can be easily destroyed by cooking but can survive and multiply at refrigerator temperature. Most healthy individuals do not develop symptoms or only have mild symptoms like fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea when infected. However, severe complications such as septicaemia, meningitis or even death may occur in newborns, the elderly and those with a weaker immune system. Although infected pregnant women may just experience mild symptoms generally, the infection of Listeria monocytogenes may cause miscarriage, infant death, preterm birth, or severe infection in the newborns," the spokesman said.
      
     The spokesman urged consumers not to consume the affected product if they have bought any. The trade should also stop using or selling the product concerned immediately if they possess it.

     The CFS will alert the trade to the incident, and will continue to follow up and take appropriate action. Investigation is ongoing.

     The Lands Department announced today (April 16) that tenders for three petrol filling stations have been awarded on 21-year land grants at a total premium of $1,365,260,884.

     Rural Building Lot No. 1209 at No. 100 Pok Fu Lam Road, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong, was awarded to the highest tenderer, Shell Hong Kong Limited, at $236,006,048. New Kowloon Inland Lot No. 6614 at No. 590 Prince Edward Road East, Kowloon, was awarded to the highest tenderer, Shell Hong Kong Limited, at $564,002,618. New Kowloon Inland Lot No. 6616 at No. 6 Kai Fuk Road, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon, was awarded to the highest tenderer, Shell Hong Kong Limited, at $565,252,218.

     The successful tenders were submitted on an individual basis for the purchase of the three sites. These three sites are existing, re-tendered sites for the development of petrol filling stations. Four tenderers took part in the exercise, which produced a total of 12 tenders.

     The tenderers other than the successful tenderers that tendered in respect of each lot (individually or as a package) and in alphabetical order, with the name of the parent company where provided by the tenderer in brackets, were:
 
(a) Rural Building Lot No. 1209
(1) Chevron Hong Kong Limited
(2) ExxonMobil Hong Kong Limited
(3) Sinopec (Hong Kong) Limited (Sinopec Marketing Company Limited)
 
(b) New Kowloon Inland Lot No. 6614
(1) Chevron Hong Kong Limited
(2) ExxonMobil Hong Kong Limited
(3) Sinopec (Hong Kong) Limited (Sinopec Marketing Company Limited)
 
(c) New Kowloon Inland Lot No. 6616
(1) Chevron Hong Kong Limited
(2) Sinopec (Hong Kong) Limited (Sinopec Marketing Company Limited)

     The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health (DH) said today (April 16) that no additional case of measles infection has been recorded as at 4pm today.

     Regarding measles control measures implemented at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), a total of 26 persons received measles vaccination at the airport vaccination station as at 6pm today, bringing the cumulative number of vaccinations given to 8 186.

     From tomorrow (April 17) to April 28, the vaccination quota for the measles vaccination station at the airport remains at 500 doses daily. Vaccination for eligible airport staff will be provided to the following target groups who:

(1) Were born in or after 1967, and have not received two doses of measles vaccination, and have not been infected with measles before, and with evidence of living with infants under 1 year old or living with pregnant women; or

(2) Have laboratory evidence of testing not positive against measles antibody (IgG).

     Details of evidence are as follows:

(a) Supporting documents for living with infants under 1 year old: for example, birth certificate, discharge summary or vaccination card of the infant

(b) Supporting documents for living with pregnant women: for example, positive pregnancy tests or antenatal follow-up cards of the pregnant women

(c) Supporting documents for laboratory evidence: for example, blood results from the DH's measles serology test or any laboratory within the past 12 months

     The venue and operation hours of the airport vaccination station are as follows:
 

     As for the blood test service, the DH will continue to arrange the provision of a measles serology test service for airport staff to identify those who need the measles vaccination. A DH contractor will provide the blood test service for about 200 airport staff who were born in or after 1967 daily from Tuesdays to Thursdays (April 16 to 18 and 23 to 25). Twenty-six blood samples have been collected today. The DH will notify the participants individually of the serology results.

     The venue and operation hours of the airport blood test station are as follows:
 

     A hotline (2125 1122) has been set up for public enquiries and operates during office hours from Mondays to Fridays. A total of 3 185 enquiries have been received so far.

     "The incubation period (the period from infection to appearance of illness) of measles ranges from seven days to 21 days. Symptoms of measles include fever, skin rash, cough, runny nose and red eyes. If symptoms arise, members of the public should wear surgical masks, stop going to work or school and avoid going to crowded places. They should also avoid contact with non-immune persons, especially persons with weakened immunity, pregnant women and children aged below 1. Those suspected to have been infected are advised to seek medical attention as early as possible and reveal relevant contact history of measles to healthcare professionals," the spokesman advised.

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, met the Secretary of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, Mr Du Jiahao, at Government House this afternoon (April 16). The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip, also attended the meeting.
 
     Welcoming Mr Du's first visit to Hong Kong in his capacity as the Secretary of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee with a delegation, Mrs Lam said she was particularly pleased to know that Mr Du had chosen to take the high-speed rail for the round trip and will be able to go back to Changsha on a direct train from West Kowloon Station. She congratulated Hunan Province for the successful hosting of the 2019 Hunan-Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Conference yesterday (April 15) and the signing of many investment projects for Hunan. She said that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is a key national development strategy covering not only enterprises in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, but also those further afield. She welcomed Hunan Province to host promotion week events with the theme of connecting Hunan Province and the Greater Bay Area to deepen economic and trade co-operation between them, seizing together the opportunities brought about by the development of the Greater Bay Area. She encouraged Hunan enterprises to leverage Hong Kong's advantages as a highly open and international city with an open and facilitating business environment as well as quality professional services to develop businesses and "go global".
 
     She said that Hong Kong and Hunan Province have all along held close trade and economic ties, in particular with the Hunan Liaison Unit set up by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in 2016, and thanked Hunan Province for its staunch support for the work of the unit. She added that Hong Kong has strong complementarity with Hunan in a number of industries and looks forward to enhancing co-operation in areas including modern services industries, financial services, innovation and technology and tourism between the two places.