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The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (May 11) ordered the temporary closure of a fish stall on ground floor, Po Tin Market, Tuen Mun, 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 May 7 and results available today confirmed the presence of Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor serotype Inaba.
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 be killed by thorough cooking.
To prevent cholera, people are advised to observe the following guidelines:
* Wash and scrub shellfish thoroughly;
* 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," the spokesman said.
Ends/Friday, May 11, 2007
Issued at HKT 17:55
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