******************************************************
A spokesman for the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health said today (January 26) that the final laboratory results of water samples taken after thorough cleansing and disinfection of office buildings in connection with a confirmed Legionnaires' Disease case involving a 67-year-old male patient available today have shown that out of the total 451 water samples taken, all the remaining 158 samples did not exceed the action level of 1 colony forming unit per millilitre (cfu/ml).
These samples included 135 taken from the Central Government Offices, 18 from the Legislative Council Complex, three from the Chief Executive's Office and two from Tamar Park, and all were processed by an accredited private laboratory.
Legionella bacteria was below the detection limit of 0.1 cfu/ml in 140 of the water samples. Eighteen water samples showed low levels ranging from 0.1 to 0.3 cfu/ml, which were below the action level of 1 cfu/ml.
Following the disinfection exercise, the CHP together with the Architectural Services Department and the Water Supplies Department conducted systematic post-disinfection sampling of water samples at the Chief Executive's Office, the Legislative Council Complex, the Central Government Offices and Tamar Park for further tests to ensure that the Legionella bacterial count had returned to normal levels.
A total of 451 post-disinfection water samples were collected from the whole of Tamar for further testing for Legionella pneumophila. Testing of all these water samples has been completed with the results of the remaining 158 samples available today. Testing of the first 293 samples was completed before the Chinese New Year and results were announced on January 20. All samples showed levels not exceeding the action level of 1 cfu/ml.
The spokesman said that the final laboratory results for the samples showed that the extensive disinfection exercise at Tamar had achieved its desired outcome.
Ends/Thursday, January 26, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:45
NNNN
