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The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (June 30) ordered the temporary closure of a fish stall (market stall no. F42) at Tai Po Hui Market for thorough disinfection following discovery of Vibrio cholerae in a water sample collected from its fish tank.
The water sample was collected from the stall on June 26 as part of the department's routine surveillance programme on fish tank water.
Results available today confirmed the presence of Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor serotype Ogawa.
To protect public health, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene ordered the immediate closure of the fish stall under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance.
The stall will remain closed until the Director is satisfied with the overall hygiene condition of the premises and that there is no immediate health hazard.
A department spokesman said Vibrio cholerae could not survive under high temperature and could actually be killed by thorough cooking.
To prevent cholera, members of the public are advised to observe the following guidelines:
* After washing and scrubbing the shells, soak shellfish in clean water;
* Clean the seafood and remove the internal organs. Cook thoroughly before consumption;
* Raw and cooked food must be handled with separate sets of utensils to avoid cross-contamination; and
* Raw and cooked food should be stored separately. Cooked food should be placed on the upper shelf of a refrigerator.
"People should also pay attention to personal and food hygiene and be extra cautious in consuming seafood and ready-to-eat food, particularly during the summer months," the spokesman said.
Ends/Friday, June 30, 2006
Issued at HKT 19:38
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