XN000022-1976-07-15 — Page 4

3

-

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 1976

FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS INTO IMPORTED CHOLERA CASE

******

THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS CARRIED OUT FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS INTO LAST WEEK'S IMPORTED CASE OF CHOLERA INVOLVING AN AMERICAN TOURIST WHO IS NOW RECOVERING AT PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL.

HEALTH OFFICERS HAVE TRACED THE DIRECT CONTACTS OF THE CHOLERA INFECTED WOMAN AND TAKEN RECTAL SWABS FROM ALL OF THEM FOR BACTERIOLOGICAL TESTS.

RESULTS OF THE TESTS SHOWED THAT ALL STOOL SPECIMENS EXCEPT ONE WERE NEGATIVE. THE ONE SPECIMEN THAT SHOWED POSITIVE RESULT WAS FROM A 20-YEAR-OLD GIRL WHO HAD BEEN IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE AMERICAN WOMAN.

THE GIRL WAS TAKEN TO PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL TO BE ISOLATED AND PUT UNDER MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE. ALTHOUGH HER STOOL SPECIMEN WAS POSITIVE, SHE SHOWED NO SIGNS OF THE DISEASE AND WAS THEREFORE REGARDED AND TREATED AS A CARRIER.

FURTHER RECTAL SWABS WERE THEN TAKEN FROM HER CONTACTS AND RESULTS ON THESE PROVED TO BE NEGATIVE.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT STRESSED THAT THE GIRL IS NOT SUFFERING FROM CHOLERA AND SHE WOULD BE DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL WHEN HER STOOL IS CLEARED OF THE CHOLERA ORGANISM.

THE CONDITION OF THE AMERICAN WOMAN HAS ALSO MARKEDLY IMPROVED, AND SHE IS EXPECTED TO BE DISCHARGED IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

HE SAID THAT NO OTHER CASES HAVE BEEN DETECTED APART FROM THIS ONE IMPORTED CASE, AND HONG KONG REMAINS AN UNINFECTED AREA.

THE SPOKESMAN EMPHASISED THAT MEASURES TO PREVENT ANY OUTBREAK OF CHOLERA IN HONG KONG AND TO LOCATE CARRIERS OF THE DISEASE ARE TAKEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND THESE INCLUDE THE EXAMINATION OF NIGHTSOIL SAMPLES AND ALL CASES OF DIARRHOEA FOR CHOLERA ORGANISMS.

BUT HE URGED THE PUBLIC TO CONTINUE THEIR VIGILANCE IN PROTECTING THEMSELVES AGAINST CHOLERA AND OTHER DIARRHOEA DISEASES BY OBSERVING THE SIMPLE RULES OF PERSONAL HYGIENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANLINESS.

ANTI-CHOLERA VACCINES ARE AVAILABLE AT ALL GOVERNMENT CLINICS FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO BE VACCINATED.

HOWEVER, THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT CHOLERA VACCINATION DOES NOT PROVIDE FULL PROTECTION.

+ THE MOST RELIABLE MEASURES ARE TO ENSURE CLEANLINESS IN THE PREPARATION AND CONSUMPTION OF FOOD, AND GOOD PERSONAL HYGIENE,+ HE ADDED.

1