**********************
A spokesman for the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (October 13) said laboratory tests on stool specimens taken from a six-year-old boy who was admitted to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital last week for suspected cholera have yielded positive result for Vibrio cholerae Ogawa.
This is the fifth cholera case reported to the CHP this year. The boy is now in stable condition.
There were three cases in 2007, one in 2006, five in 2005, five in 2004 and seven in 2003.
The spokesman reminded members of the public, whether in Hong Kong or travelling abroad, to observe good personal, food and environmental hygiene and take measures to prevent cholera and food-borne infection.
For information on preventive measures against cholera, members of the public may visit the CHP's website (www.chp.gov.hk/).
Ends/Monday, October 13, 2008
Issued at HKT 14:02
NNNN
