DH announced latest situation of Legionnaires' Disease cases
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (December 2) reported the latest number of cases of Legionnaires' disease (LD), and appealed again to those who had participated in tour groups to Foshan organised by Travel Around Limited from November 7 to 17 to contact the CHP as soon as possible for health assessment and medical surveillance.
From November 24 to 30, the CHP recorded six community-acquired LD cases, and three imported cases associated with Travel Around Limited's tour groups to Foshan, which were announced earlier.
Details of the community-acquired LD cases are as follow:
A male patient, aged 68 with good past health, who lives in Islands District;
A female patient, aged 70 with underlying illnesses, who lives in Kwun Tong District;
A male patient, aged 67 with underlying illnesses, who lives in Eastern District;
A male patient, aged 71 with underlying illnesses, who lives in Wong Tai Sin District;
A male patient, aged 75 with underlying illnesses, who lives in Yau Tsim Mong District; and
A male patient, aged 52 with good past health, who lives in Kowloon City District.
In view of the recent spate of cases involving Travel Around Limited's tour groups to Foshan, the CHP continues to appeal to those who had participated in the Foshan tour groups organised by the aforesaid travel agent between November 7 and 17 to call the CHP hotline (2125 2372) for follow-up and medical surveillance. The hotline will continue to operate from 9am to 5pm until Friday (December 6). They should seek medical advice immediately if they develop symptoms of infection, such as fever or feeling unwell.
"Epidemiological investigations into the six community-acquired LD cases are ongoing to identify potential sources of infection, high-risk exposure and clusters, if any," a spokesman for the CHP said.
As of November 30, 124 LD cases had been recorded this year. In 2023 and 2022, there were 121 and 80 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," the spokesman said.
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.
Government's response to UK officials meeting with wanted persons suspected to have committed offences endangering national security
In response to media enquiries on the United Kingdom (UK) officials meeting with wanted persons suspected to have committed offences endangering national security, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (January 23) responded as follows:
Regarding the attempt by Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Mr David Lammy, and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Ms Catherine West, to interfere in the HKSAR's enforcement actions in accordance with the law by meeting with the wanted persons suspected to have committed offences endangering national security, the HKSAR Government expressed strong disapproval and condemnation.
A spokesman for the HKSAR Government said that, "Endangering national security is a very serious crime. No country will watch with folded arms the acts and activities that endanger national security. Those persons who have fled overseas are suspected of continuing to commit offences under the Hong Kong National Security Law. Thus, the Police applied to the court for the arrest warrants in accordance with the law and put them on the wanted list. The UK Government has ignored the malicious acts of those wanted persons, which showcases the hypocrisy with double standards."
The spokesman stressed that, "The HKSAR law enforcement agencies have been taking law enforcement actions based on evidence and strictly in accordance with the law in respect of the acts of the persons or entities concerned, which have nothing to do with their political stance, background or occupation. The HKSAR Government has the responsibility to pursue the legal liabilities of the persons who are suspected to have committed offences endangering national security and absconded overseas in accordance with the law.
"Any individuals who endanger national security should not believe that being overseas will allow them to evade criminal responsibility and remain beyond the reach of justice. The HKSAR Government will exhaust all means to pursue and combat criminals absconding overseas and endangering national security, ensuring that violations of the law will be pursued regardless of the distance. The HKSAR Government urged the wanted persons to return to Hong Kong and surrender so as to rectify their mistakes."
The spokesman reiterated that, "The Constitution and the Basic Law steadfastly safeguard the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong people. Any attempt by foreign countries or external forces to undermine Hong Kong's situation will only expose their own weakness and faulty arguments and be doomed to fail.
"The HKSAR Government will, as always, continue to resolutely discharge the duty of safeguarding national security, whilst upholding the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people in accordance with the law, so as to ensure the steadfast and successful implementation of the principle of 'one country, two systems'. The HKSAR Government strongly demands the UK Government to immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong matters which are purely China's internal affairs."
