CHP continues to investigate food poisoning clusters involving passengers on flights from Nepal
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (January 10) continued to investigate a food poisoning cluster involving passengers on a flight arriving in Hong Kong from Nepal yesterday (January 9). The cluster is believed to be epidemiologically linked to a food poisoning cluster announced on January 8, in which the affected people had similar symptoms and had consumed similar food items before the onset of the illness. The two clusters involved a total of 36 people. The CHP appealed to passengers travelling on Cathay Pacific Airways Limited (CX) flights (flight number: CX640) from Kathmandu to Hong Kong and landing on January 8 and 9 to call the CHP hotline (2125 2372) for an appropriate health assessment.
The cluster reported on January 9 involved 20 persons (14 males and six females) aged between 11 and 51 coming from eight unknown families/groups. They developed food poisoning symptoms, including vomiting, diarrhoea, nausea, abdominal pain and fever, about 10 to 30 minutes after consuming in-flight meals. Thirteen of them sought medical advice upon landing in the early morning of January 9. None required hospitalisation. Other than the food served on the flight, the CHP's investigation did not find that they had consumed any common food before boarding the plane.
Regarding the cluster announced on January 8, the number of affected people has increased to 16. The six newly reported cases included one male and five females. Of the 16 people, nine were from the same exchange group, and the remaining seven do not know each other. They arrived in Hong Kong on the early morning of January 8 and developed food poisoning symptoms, including vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and fever, about 10 to 30 minutes after having meals served on the flight. The investigation revealed that the seven persons who were not part of the exchange group had not consumed any common food before boarding the plane.
The CHP is conducting a comprehensive investigation into the two cases from various angles, including reviewing the food consumed by the symptomatic persons before the onset of illness, such as bread, fruits, beetroot salad, lamb rice, chicken rice and ice-cream, which were common food items served on the flights concerned, as well as other food items consumed at the airport or in Nepal prior to boarding. Investigators took samples for testing from the same batch of food that was not served to passengers on either flights.
The CHP is still actively investigating the incidents and does not rule out the possibility that the number of people affected may increase. Staff of the CHP and the Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department have conducted an inspection at the Cathay Pacific Catering Service (H.K.) Limited, which supplied the food for the flights concerned, and the aircraft concerned to examine the food preparation process and hygiene. The investigation found that the food concerned was stored at an appropriate temperature and in an appropriate manner. However, as the beetroot salad requires more manual preparation and does not need to be reheated before consumption, the CHP has, as a precaution, instructed the premises concerned to suspend the supply of beetroot salad immediately.
The CHP has reported the cases to the World Health Organization and the Nepalese health authority, and inquired whether there are any other reports from other places of food poisoning among passengers on flights from Nepal to destinations other than Hong Kong. The CHP appealed to those who were on the flights operated by CX (flight number: CX640) from Kathmandu, Nepal, to Hong Kong on January 7 and 8 (Nepal time) to call the CHP hotline for follow-up and medical surveillance. The hotline has been in operation since January 9 and will continue until January 17, from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and from 9am to 1pm on Saturday and Sunday. They should seek medical advice immediately if they develop symptoms of infection, such as fever or feeling unwell.
To prevent foodborne diseases, members of the public are reminded to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene at all times. When dining out, one should:
Avoid eating raw seafood;
Be a discerning consumer in choosing cold dishes, including sashimi, sushi and raw oysters at a buffet;
Choose pasteurised eggs, egg products or dried egg powder for dishes that often use lightly cooked or uncooked eggs;
Patronise only reliable and licensed restaurants;
Store and reheat pre-cooked or leftover foods properly before consumption;
Ensure food is thoroughly cooked before eating during a hotpot or barbecue meal;
Handle raw and cooked foods carefully and separate them completely during the cooking process;
Use two sets of chopsticks and utensils to handle raw and cooked foods;
Avoid patronising illegal food hawkers;
Drink boiled water;
Refrain from trying to use salt, vinegar, wine or wasabi to kill bacteria as they are not effective; and
Always wash hands before eating and after going to the toilet.
DH announces latest situation of Legionnaires' Disease cases
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (April 7) reported the latest number of cases of Legionnaires' disease (LD), and reminded the public of the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems, adding that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.
From March 30 to April 5, the CHP recorded two community-acquired LD cases. The details of the cases are as follows:
A 54-year-old male patient with underlying illnesses livingin Kwun Tong District; and
A 59-year-old female patient with underlying illnesses living in Eastern District.
The CHP is conducting epidemiological investigations to identify potential sources of infection, high-risk exposure and clusters, if any.
As of April 5, 37 LD cases had been recorded this year. In 2024 and 2023, there were 135 and 121 LD cases respectively.
Men, people aged over 50, smokers, alcoholics and persons with weakened immunity are more susceptible to LD. Some situations may also increase the risk of infection, including poor maintenance of water systems; living in areas with old water systems, cooling towers or fountains; using electric water heaters, whirlpools and spas or hot water spring spas; and recent stays in hotels or vessels.
Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpools and spas, water fountains and home apparatus that support breathing. People may become infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.
Immunocompromised persons should:
Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;
Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices; and
If using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices, fill the water tank with only sterile or cooled freshly boiled water, and not water directly from the tap. Also, clean and maintain humidifiers/devices regularly according to manufacturers' instructions. Never leave stagnant water in a humidifier/device. Empty the water tank, wipe all surfaces dry, and change the water daily.
The public should observe the health advice below:
Observe personal hygiene;
Do not smoke and avoid alcohol consumption;
Strainers in water taps and shower heads should be inspected, cleaned, descaled and disinfected regularly or at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer;
If a fresh-water plumbing system is properly maintained, it is not necessary to install domestic water filters. Use of water filters is not encouraged as clogging occurs easily, which can promote growth of micro-organisms. In case water filters are used, the pore size should be 0.2 micrometres (µm) and the filter needs to be changed periodically according to the manufacturer's recommendations;
Drain and clean water tanks of buildings at least quarterly;
Drain or purge for at least one minute infrequently used water outlets (e.g. water taps, shower heads and hot water outlets) and stagnant points of the pipework weekly or before use;
Seek and follow doctors' professional advice regarding the use and maintenance of home respiratory devices and use only sterile water (not distilled or tap water) to clean and fill the reservoir. Clean and maintain the device regularly according to the manufacturer's instructions. After cleaning/disinfection, rinse the device with sterile water, cooled freshly boiled water or water filtered with 0.2 µm filters. Never leave stagnant water in the device. Empty the water tank, keep all surfaces dry, and change the water daily; and
When handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes:
Wear gloves and a face mask;
Water gardens and compost gently using low pressure;
Open composted potting mixes slowly and make sure the opening is directed away from the face;
Wet the soil to reduce dust when potting plants; and
Avoid working in poorly ventilated places such as enclosed greenhouses.
The public may visit the CHP'sLD page, theCode of Practice for Prevention of LDand theHousekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Managementof the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP'srisk-based strategyfor prevention and control of LD.
