CHP investigates two food poisoning clusters

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (June 22) investigating two food poisoning clusters affecting four persons, and reminded the public to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene to prevent food-borne diseases.

     The first cluster involved two females, aged 10 and 51, who developed diarrhoea and fever about 13 hours after consuming food bought from a food premises in Sha Tin on June 16.
 
     The second cluster involved two males, aged 9 and 46, who developed abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and fever about nine to 20 hours after having dinner at the same food premises on the same day.

     All affected persons have sought medical advice and one patient from each cluster required hospitalisation. The stool specimen collected from one patient tested positive for Salmonella upon laboratory testing. All patients are in a stable condition.

     "We have alerted the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department to the incident and investigations are ongoing," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     To prevent food-borne diseases, members of the public are reminded to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene at all times. When dining out:
 

• Patronise only reliable and licensed restaurants;
• Avoid eating raw seafood;
• Be a discerning consumer in choosing cold dishes, including sashimi, sushi and raw oysters, at a buffet;
• Ensure food is thoroughly cooked before eating during a hot pot or barbecue meal;
• Handle raw and cooked foods carefully and separate them completely during the cooking process;
• Use two sets of chopsticks and eating utensils to handle raw and cooked food;
• Do not patronise illegal food hawkers;
• Drink boiled water;
• Do not try to use salt, vinegar, wine and wasabi to kill bacteria as they are not effective; and
• Always wash hands before eating and after going to the toilet.