MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 1981
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SECOND CASE OF IMPORTED CHOLERA
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AN 83-YEAR-OLD AUSTRALIAN TOURIST HAS BECOME HONG KONG'S SECOND IMPORTED CASE OF CHOLERA IN TWO MONTHS.
MR S.J. SPARKES WAS ADMITTED TO QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL ON AUGUST 7, SUFFERING FROM SEVERE DIARRHOEA AND LABORATORY TESTS HAVE CONFIRMED THAT HE IS SUFFERING FROM CHOLERA OF THE EL TOR STRAIN.
HE IS IN AN ISOLATION WARD WHERE HIS CONDITION IS DESCRIBED AS FAIR.
MR SPARKES WENT TO MANILA ON JULY 26 AND STAYED THERE FOR ABOUT A WEEK BUT DEVELOPED SYMPTOMS OF DIARRHOEA ON JULY 31.
HE DEPARTED FOR HONG KONG ON AUGUST 1. DURING HIS STAY IN HONG KONG HE WAS BEING TREATED BY A PRIVATE PRACTITIONER UNTIL AUGUST 7, WHEN HE WAS SENT BY HIS DOCTOR TO QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY THAT HONG KONG WILL NOT BE DECLARED A CHOLERA INFECTED AREA AS THIS IS CLEARLY AN IMPORTED CASE,
HOWEVER, HE URGED THE PUBLIC TO TAKE ALL PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES AGAINST THE DISEASE, WHICH IS ENDEMIC IN SOUTH EAST ASIA.
HE ADVISED THAT PEOPLE SHOULD OBSERVE PERSONAL, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE, RECOMMENDED BY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION AS THE MOST EFFECTIVE METHOD OF PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF CHOLERA.
+CHOLERA, LIKE OTHER GASTRO-INTESTINAL DISEASES, MAY BE TRANSMITTED THROUGH CONTAMINATED FOOD AND WATER. THE MOST DANGEROUS ITEMS OF FOOD ARE THOSE STORED AT ROOM TEMPERATURE AND EATEN WITHOUT FURTHER COOKING AND OTHER FOODS LIKE CUT FOOD AND COOKED FOOD SOLD BY THE MOBILE HAWKERS, HE SAID.
THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT SIMPLE RULES, SUCH AS WASHING OF HANDS BEFORE EATING AND AFTER VISITING THE TOILET SHOULD BE CLOSELY OBSERVED.
ANTI-CHOLERA VACCINE BY ITSELF ONLY GIVES PARTIAL AND PERSONAL PROTECTION AND IS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE EFFICACIOUS IN PREVENTING THE DISEASE, HE SAID.
YEAR.
THE LAST IMPORTED CASE OF CHOLERA WAS REPORTED IN JUNE THIS
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