XN000022-1978-07-20 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1978

DETECTION OF CHOLERA ORGANISMS

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A 54-YEAR OLD MAN, WHO DIED OF CARDIAC ARREST AT PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL TWO DAYS AGO, HAS BEEN FOUND TO HAVE HARBOURED CHOLERA ORGANISMS DURING CLINICAL EXAMINATIONS IN THE HOSPITAL.

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THE MAN, WHO LIVED ALONE IN A WOODEN HUT ON TSING | ISLAND WAS ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR A HEART CONDITION ON JULY 18 AND SUBSEQUENTLY DIED ON THE SAME DAY.

LABORATORY TESTS, HOWEVER, REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF CHOLERA VIBRO OF THE EL TOR STRAIN IN THE STOOLS.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY THAT ALL APPROPRIATE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF THE DISEASE.

HE SAID ALTHOUGH THE CASE WAS CLASSIFIED AS CHOLERA IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHO REGULATIONS, THERE WAS NO CAUSE FOR ALARM AS THE DANGER OF A LOCAL SPREAD FROM THE CASE WAS MINIMAL.

+ IN FACT, IT IS BECAUSE OF THE EXISTENCE OF THE EFFICIENT SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM AND FACILITIES THAT SUCH CASES CAN BE DETECTED EARLY SO THAT THE APPROPRIATE PREVENTIVE MEASURES COULD BE INSTITUTED. HE SAID.

NO OTHER CASES HAVE BEEN REPORTED. THE LAST LOCAL CASE IN HONG KONG WAS REPORTED IN 1969.

THE SPOKESMAN REITERATED THAT THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF CHOLERA IS BY STRICT OBSERVANCE OF PERSONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE - CLEAN FOOD, CLEAN WATER AND OBSERVING SIMPLE RULES OF HYGIENE SUCH AS WASHING OF HANDS BEFORE MEALS AND AFTER VISITS TO TOILETS, WHICH ARE THE BASIS FOR ENSURING AN ENVIRONMENT FREE OF GASTRO-INTESTINAL DISEASES.

HE SAID, HOWEVER, THERE IS SUFFICIENT STOCK OF ANTI-CHOLERA VACCINE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT IT AND ISOLATION FACILITIES ARE ADEQUATE TO DEAL WITH ANY EMERGENCY SITUATION.

HE POINTED OUT ALSO THAT THE ANTI-CHOLERA VACCINE BY ITSELF IS NOT EFFICACIOUS IN PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF CHOLERA AND COULD ONLY GIVE PARTIAL PROTECTION TO THE INDIVIDUAL FOR ONLY A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD.

+EXPERIENCE AND RESEARCH HAVE SHOWN THAT THE MOST RELIABLE AND EFFECTIVE MEASURES ARE TO ENSURE CLEANLINESS IN THE PREPARATION AND CONSUMPTION OF FOOD AND WATER, AND GOOD PERSONAL HYGIENE,+ HE SAID.

THE SPOKESMAN URGED THE PUBLIC TO BE EXTRA CAUTIOUS IN THEIR CHOICE OF FOOD AND DRINK AS CHOLERA IS SPREAD THROUGH CONTAMINATED FOOD AND WATER.

/+IMPROPERLY COOKED