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The Department of Health has arranged with airline companies to broadcast health messages on flights from places affected by the tsunamis, advising passengers to approach the airport medical post on arrival for assistance if they felt unwell.

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health has also sent letters to all doctors urging them to be on the alert when attending patients with a history of travel to the affected areas and to look out for symptoms of infectious disease.

A department spokesman said that the sources of water and food in the affected areas might have been contaminated and could lead to food poisoning as well as food and water-borne diseases, such as bacillary dysentery and cholera.

"Many of the affected areas are also endemic to mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever," the spoksman said.

"Travellers returning from the affected areas should be alert for any symptoms of infectious disease, including fever, diarrhoea and rash.

"Employers of domestic helpers are also advised to watch out for the health of their helpers on their return to Hong Kong and arrange their helpers to seek medical advice if in doubt," he said.

"Members of the public should be vigilant at all times in personal, food and environmental hygiene for the protection of their own health and prevention of infectious diseases," the spokesman said.

For information on travel health, the public can visit the Travel Health website at http://www.info.gov.hk/trhealth/e_HKTHS.htm.

Ends/Monday, January 3, 2005

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