Four New Cases of Legionnaires' Disease Reported, Highlighting the Need for Proper Water System Maintenance and Precautions

DH announces latest situation regarding Legionnaires' disease cases

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (September 28) 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.

From September 20 to 26, the CHP recorded four LD cases, involving three males and one female aged between 61 and 71. Details are as follows:

Locally acquired cases

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• a 63-year-old male living in Kwun Tong District, with a long history of smoking;

• a69-year-old male living in Kowloon City District, with a long history of smoking; and

• a71-year-old female with underlying illnesses living in Tuen Mun District.

Case with place of infection to be determined

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• a61-year-old male with underlying illnesses living in Kwun Tong District. He travelled back and forth between Hong Kong and Macao multiple times during the incubation period. Further investigation is needed to determine whether this is an imported or community-acquired case.

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

As of September 26, 151 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's LD page, the Code of Practice for Prevention of LD and the Housekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Management of the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP's risk-based strategy for prevention and control of LD.

Additionally, as smokers and alcoholics are more susceptible to LD, the Government urges members 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 referrals 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's Change for Health website.

The Centre for Health Protection, Photo source: reference image

Banking industry further extends loan repayment grace period for affected individuals of Tai Po Fire

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB), having maintained close communication with the banking industry to follow up on the needs of individuals affected by the Tai Po fire, announced today (September 28) a further extension of the credit support measures.

Recognising that some affected residents may need time to complete their housing and financial-related arrangements, the banking industry agreed to continue providing the below support measures following discussions with the HKMA and HKAB:

(1) Extend the repayment grace period for various loans: All 28 retail banks will further extend the repayment grace period (including principal and interest) for existing mortgages, personal loans, credit card loans, etc, of affected individuals by an additional six months to the end of May 2027. Such extension aims to alleviate the financial burden of affected individuals and provide them with greater flexibility in making long-term housing arrangements.

(2) Flexibly handle Wang Fuk Court (WFC) mortgage matters: All the WFC mortgagee banks will continue to assist WFC mortgagors and borrowers who sell their property rights to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The banks will handle their mortgages in a flexible manner, including further extending the repayment grace period (including principal and interest) for the original mortgage loan until the newly-purchased unit is ready for intake. The relevant banks will also maintain close communication with the mortgagors and borrowers to facilitate a smooth transition to their long-term housing arrangements.

In March this year, the HKMA and HKAB introduced measures in support of the Government's long-term housing arrangements for WFC. The banking industry has since actively communicated with relevant Government departments and stakeholders to implement the various details of the mortgage arrangements. The HKMA, HKAB and the banking industry will continue to closely follow up on the needs of affected residents through the existing communication mechanism and provide appropriate assistance to each individual case in an empathetic and flexible manner.

Source: AI-found images