CHP investigates sporadic case of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli infection
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (February 25) announced a sporadic case of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection and reminded the public to maintain good personal, food and environmental hygiene to prevent intestinal infections.
The case involves a 1-year-old girl with good past health, who developed diarrhoea on February 14. She was taken to the Accident and Emergency Department of Queen Elizabeth Hospital on the same day and was admitted for treatment. She remained stable and did not develop any complications. She was discharged on February 16 upon recovery. Her stool sample tested positive for STEC.
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Photo source: reference image
According to her family, she did not consume any high-risk food or beverages during the incubation period, including raw or undercooked meat, contaminated fruits, vegetables or drinking water, and unpasteurised dairy products. She had no contact with farm animals. So far, her three home contacts have remained asymptomatic, and the CHP is monitoring their health conditions.
The CHP's investigation is ongoing.
Over the past five years (2021 to 2025), the CHP recorded one to six cases of STEC infection annually. The above case is the first case of STEC infection recorded this year. No significant upward trend or unusual cluster of cases has been identified.
Generally, STEC infections are usually associated with the consumption of contaminated food or water, such as raw or undercooked meat products, contaminated fruits and vegetables, and unpasteurised dairy products. Direct person-to-person transmission through the faecal-oral route can also occur. Waterborne transmission has been reported, both from contaminated drinking water and from recreational waters. The public is advised to observe good personal and food hygiene.
Members of the public may refer to the CHP's webpagefor more information about STEC.
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP), Photo source: reference image
Hospital Authority welcomes 2026-27 Budget
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Hospital Authority (HA) Chairman, Mr Henry Fan, welcomed the 2026-27 Budget announced by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Legislative Council today (February 25). The 2026-27 annual subvention for the HA will be $103.1 billion (including $101.8 billion recurrent), having increased by 2.9 per cent compared to the 2025-26 revised provision.
Mr Fan expressed his gratitude to the Government for the continuous increase to the subvention for the HA in order to support the enhancement of public healthcare services. The Public Healthcare Fees and Charges Reform has been fully implemented and has shown initial success. The HA will continue to make optimal use of resources and ensure their proper allocation so that public resources are used effectively to promote the sustainable development of public healthcare services. Enhancing healthcare protection for the "poor, acute, serious, critical" patients on all fronts will ensure that the resources of the public healthcare system can be directed in a targeted manner to help those patients most in need, and fulfil the healthcare system's role as a safety net.
Mr Fan said, "With the staunch support of our nation and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, the HA will continue to strengthen its services to provide patients with timely treatment and care. The HA will continue to strive to provide high-quality medical services to the public. The HA is conducting accreditation for various public hospitals, and is setting up a third stroke centre in accordance with national accreditation standards."
The HA Chief Executive, Dr Libby Lee, thanked the HKSAR Government for supporting the continuous enhancement of public hospital services. "The HA will continue to strengthen its service capacity to meet the needs of the community, which includes enhancing service quality, streamlining processes, reducing patient waiting times and optimising hospital environments. The HA is committed to provide patient-centred clinical services with warmth, so that patients could receive appropriate medical treatment in a well-maintained environment," said Dr Lee.
The HA will continue to execute various measures for the sustainable development of public healthcare and align with the policy on primary healthcare, including the enhancement of Family Medicine Integrated Centres and Family Medicine Clinics in different districts. In the coming financial year, over 200 additional public hospital beds will be opened and continuous improvements will be made to specialist out-patient clinics and radiology services, as well as the provision of additional operating theatre sessions. Meanwhile, ophthalmology services will also be strengthened by increasing the service capacity of cataract, eye surgery and other treatment procedures.
The HA will reinforce holistic care for cancer patients utilising AI to improve the accuracy and efficiency of cancer diagnoses, and increasing cancer-related genetic and genomic testing. The HA will provide fast-track diagnostic services to patients with suspected lung cancer and implement a cancer case manager programme to provide timely treatment tailored to patient needs. Additionally, the HA will continue to enhance palliative and end-of-life care services to enable terminally ill patients to die with dignity.
Mr Fan and Dr Lee once again thanked the HKSAR Government for its support of public healthcare services. The HA will utilise the subvention properly and strive to implement relevant measures for the benefit of patients.
Source: AI-found images
