CHP Reports Four New Legionnaires' Disease Cases, Urges Public to Maintain Water Systems and Follow Health Precautions

2026-06-15 18:15 Last Updated At：18:28

DH announces latest situation regarding Legionnaires' disease case

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (June 15) reported the latest number of Legionnaires' disease (LD) cases, 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.

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From June 7 to 13, the CHP recorded four community-acquired LD cases, involving patients aged between 60 and 74, all of whom had underlying illnesses. The details are as follows:

a 74-year-old female living in Kowloon City District;

a 60-year-old male living in Islands District;

a 66-year-old male living in Kwun Tong District; and

a 73-year-old male living in Eastern District.

The CHP is conducting epidemiological investigations to identify the potential sources of infection and high-risk exposure. An initial investigation revealed that the four community-acquired cases are sporadic cases. No epidemiological linkages have been established between these cases and other confirmed cases previously recorded in Hong Kong.

As of June 13, 74 LD cases had been recorded this year. In 2025 and 2024, there were 167 and 135 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, whirlpool spas or hot water spring spas; and recent stays in hotels or ships.

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, whirlpool spas, water fountains, humidifiers and home respiratory devices 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) or less 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.

Additionally, as smokers and alcoholics are more susceptible to LD, the Government urgesmembers of the public to quit smoking and avoid drinking. Members of the public may call the DH Integrated Smoking Cessation Hotline at 1833 183, which is answered by registered nurses who provide professional counselling and referral to a wide range of free smoking cessation services. The public may also visit the smoking cessation thematic website (www.livetobaccofree.hk) for more information on smoking cessation. The DH has also developed and promulgated the Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention tool to primary healthcare service providers to facilitate the early identification and management of at-risk drinkers. For information on alcohol-related harm, please visit the DH'sChange for Health website.

Hong Kong Financial Delegation Visits Hangzhou to Strengthen Global Market Connections

SFST leads delegation to visit Hangzhou

The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, led a 30-plus-strong delegation of representatives from financial institutions and industry leaders to visit Hangzhou today (June 15).

In the morning, Mr Hui and the Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Financial Services), Mrs Angelina Cheung, met with the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the People's Government of Zhejiang Province, Mr Gu Jianxin, and the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province, Mr Shi Qiqi, to brief them on the purpose of bringing the delegation to Hangzhou. Mr Hui expressed his anticipation of strengthening connections between Hangzhou enterprises and Hong Kong financial professionals, thereby deepening mutual understanding and jointly capturing the global market opportunities.

Mr Hui and Mrs Cheung then joined the delegation for a networking luncheon themed "Hong Kong financial sector empowering Mainland enterprises to go global" and co-organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Shanghai, Invest Hong Kong, and the Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province. The luncheon focused on discussions about how Mainland enterprises can leverage Hong Kong's financial advantages for securing financing and going global. Speakers shared insights with attendees from over 300 enterprises on topics such as establishing corporate treasury centres in Hong Kong, raising international capital, expanding businesses to global markets through Hong Kong, and Hong Kong's tax rules. The luncheon attracted over 400 corporate representatives to attend.

In his keynote speech at the luncheon, Mr Hui stated that the global economic and trade landscape, industrial division of labour, and capital flows are all undergoing profound restructuring. Mainland enterprises going global together is now an inevitable trend but at the same time presents a wealth of opportunities. He expressed the hope that this visit to Hangzhou, joined by industry leaders of the Hong Kong financial profession, will integrate the financial edge of Hong Kong with Hangzhou's digital technologies, bringing a synergy effect to achieve mutual empowerment and support Hangzhou enterprises in their journey to explore international markets.

He said, "As a powerhouse of the private and digital economies, Zhejiang Province stands as a premier hub for advanced manufacturing. Hangzhou is in particular the cradle of innovation for the digital economy, nurturing a vast cluster of vibrant, highly innovative premium enterprises with a strong ambition to expand globally. Hong Kong's core strengths lie in international finance, cross-boundary investment and financing services, world-class professional services, and alignment with international standards. All these attributes perfectly match the critical demands of Zhejiang enterprises seeking global expansion. With the high complementarity of resources and industrial synergy between Zhejiang and Hong Kong, it is indeed an impeccable integration of the real economy and international finance."

He added that by leading a financial delegation with over 30 industry leaders to Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai at a time that marks the beginning of the National 15th Five-Year Plan, he is in the hope of supporting the strategic development of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD)'s core economy with Hong Kong's robust financial foundations. The delegation, which comprises industry leaders from Hong Kong's finance, insurance, accounting, and technology sectors, will gain precise insights into the needs of enterprises through visiting these three cities. This will in turn help connect Hong Kong's top-tier world-class services with premium enterprises in the YRD, thereby making greater contributions to the high-quality development of the region in the future.

At the networking luncheon, Mr Hui also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the People's Government of Hangzhou Municipality. The MOU aims to promote exchanges, connectivity and innovative development between Hong Kong and Hangzhou Municipality in areas such as capital markets, fintech, wealth management and insurance, with a view to achieving mutual benefit and win-win outcomes for the industries.

In the afternoon, the delegation visited the Ant Group Headquarters, where they were received by the Chairman of the Ant Group, Mr Eric Jing, and were given an introduction to the group's global development strategy. The two parties discussed how the Group could utilise Hong Kong's financial market to go further.

The delegation then proceeded to visit Manycore Tech Inc, where they met with its Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer, Mr Shen Bei. The two parties had a discussion on how the company, following its listing in Hong Kong, can strategically leverage the city's advantages in capital financing, foreign exchange management and cross-boundary diversified finance as an international financial centre to further expand its global footprint.

The delegation also visited the Institute of Global Development, Zhejiang University. The Institute was established this March, with an aim to provide training for mid-to-senior level personnel from governments and corporations worldwide to advance and deepen the implementation of global development initiatives.

Mr Hui and the delegation will visit Suzhou tomorrow (June 16).

CHP Reports Four New Legionnaires' Disease Cases, Urges Public to Maintain Water Systems and Follow Health Precautions

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