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MONDAY, JUNE 9, 1975.
OYSTERS AND HEPATITIS: 110 PROOF OF LINK
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A SPOKESMAN FOR THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY THERE IS NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER TO INDICATE THAT LAU FAU SHAN OYSTERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF HEPATITIS.
AT THE SAME TIME, HOWEVER, HE REMINDED RESIDENTS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF COOKING OYSTERS AND OTHER SHELLFISH PROPERLY DEFORE SERVING SO AS TO MINIMISE THE RISK OF HEALTII HAZARDS.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THERE WAS A STRONG ASSOCIATION BETWEEN INFECTIOUS HEPATITIS AND THE CONSUMPTION OF SHELLFISH TAKEN FROM CONTAMINATED SEAWATER.
PERIODIC TESTS HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT AT LAU FAU SHAN (THE MOST RECENT TEST MADE ONLY LAST FRIDAY, JUNE 6) TO CHECK THE LEVEL OF POLLUTION IN THE AREA.
OVER THE PAST 10 MONTHS, MORE THAN 100 TESTS HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT AND THE RESULTS SHOW THAT THE LEVEL OF POLLUTION VARIES WITH THE WEATHER. THE LEVEL OF CONTAMINATION, HE SAID, TENDS TO RISE DURING PERIODS OF CONSISTENT HEAVY RAHI.
THE SPOKESMAN RE-ITERATED THAT THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT LAU FAU SHAN OYSTERS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TRAUGHISSION OF HEPATITIS.
THE SPOKESMAN WAS ADDRESSING REPRESENTATIVES OF OYSTER FARMERS AT A MEETING WITH OFFICERS FROM THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AT THE YUEN LONG DISTRICT OFFICE.
AT THE MEETING, THE OYSTER FARMERS ASKED THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE U.S.D. TO CONDUCT ON-THE-SPOT TESTS, THE RESULTS OF WHICH WOULD SHOW WHETHER OR NOT LAU FAU SHAN OYSTERS WERE CARRIERS OF INFECTIOUS HEPATITIS.
THE MEDICAL OFFICERS EXPLAINED THAT SUCH TESTS COULD NOT DE CONCLUSIVE DECAUSE IT HAD NOT BEEN POSSIDLE FOR SCIENTISTS TO ISOLATE THE VIRUS THAT CAUSES THE DISEASE.
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