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The Government announces today (August 1) to list Streptococcus suis as one of the statutory notifiable diseases that requires medical practitioners to report the infectious disease contracted by their patients.
Upon the gazettal of the order tomorrow, this will bring the total number of infectious diseases to 31 on the list in the First Schedule to the Quarantine and Prevention of Disease Ordinance.
This was revealed by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, at a press conference this afternoon when he also briefed the media on the latest findings of a three-member expert team, who were deployed earlier to Sichuan Province.
Dr Chow noted that the public had been deeply concerned about the human infection of Streptococcus suis in Sichuan.
"As public health has always been of top priority to the Government, we have been closely monitoring the developments of the outbreak.
"We have maintained close communication with the Ministry of Health, State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and Ministry of Agriculture.
"The three-member Hong Kong expert team is also in Sichuan and has obtained information on the situation in the Mainland," he said.
Dr Chow noted there had been very few incidents of Streptococcus suis in Hong Kong and the disease could be curable when treated early.
Noting that the Mainland had stopped exporting frozen pork from Sichuan, Dr Chow said Hong Kong had also stopped processing application for importing frozen pork from the cities of Ziyang and Neijiang and then the whole Sichuan Province on July 25 and July 28 respectively, which amounted to an importation ban in effect.
On the findings of the expert team, Dr Chow said, "Our expert team has been in Sichuan for four days already to investigate, gather and analyse the relevant data about the epidemic.
"The data from Sichuan indicated that people became infected mainly through contact with sick pigs. The Streptococcus suis can be cured with antibiotics and, given early treatment, the cure rate is quite high.
"According to the Ministry of Health and our expert team, the data on epidemiology, pathology and treatment protocol revealed that the Sichuan patients showed symptoms that are compatible to Streptococcus suis.
"At the present stage, there is no reason to suspect co-infection. Though the risk of an outbreak in Hong Kong is low, the Director of Health believed that we need to collect basic data on Streptococcus suis cases in Hong Kong in order to monitor the infection situation of the disease more effectively.
"Therefore, the director has decided to exercise his power under the Prevention of the Spread of Infectious Diseases Regulations and list Streptococcus suis as a statutory notifiable disease.
"It is also safe to eat pork, provided it is well-cooked. At present, there is no evidence that Hong Kong is at high risk of an outbreak. However, we will continue to monitor closely the situation as well as the latest developments in Sichuan."
As precautionary measures, Dr Chow said the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) had stepped up inspection of local farms and reminded pig farmers to look out for own health as well that of their pigs.
"We will also stay vigilant and watch out for any significant rise in the death rate of pigs or any unusual outbreaks or cases," he said.
With respect to food safety, Dr Chow said liaison with AQSIQ would be strengthened to ensure that all live pigs and pork supplied by the Mainland to Hong Kong would be safe and fit for human consumption.
"The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has stepped up health inspection of live pigs and pork imported from the Mainland at Man Kam To.
"The FEHD and AFCD have also stepped up laboratory tests on pigs produced locally and imported from the Mainland. In case of any abnormality, we shall conduct further inspection and tests," he added.
Other measures to be taken included:
* The FEHD has stepped up inspection and enforcement work at the retail level to curb improper practices of handling meat. The Customs and Excise Department has also stepped up enforcement against illegal pork import. The public would be advised not to buy pork where the source is doubtful. It is an offence to bring raw pork meat into Hong Kong without a valid permit.
* To ensure that live pigs slaughtered in Hong Kong are in good health, FEHD would step up the ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection of pigs in slaughterhouses. Should there be any abnormality in the slaughterhouses, FEHD would conduct further inspection and tests and would discuss and follow up with the Mainland authorities including, where necessary, visits to registered pig farms and processing plants in Mainland to ensure that live pigs and frozen pork supplied to Hong Kong comply with the health inspection and quarantine requirements.
Dr Chow assured the public that the Government would closely monitor further developments in Sichuan and other provinces and take actions, where appropriate.
"We will adjust our strategies, implement health inspection measures and undertake surveillance to protect the public health of Hong Kong," he said.
Ends/Monday, August 1, 2005
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