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Following is a question by the Dr Hon Joseph Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, in the Legislative Council today (December 5):
Question:
It has been reported recently by the media that the problem of bed bugs in Hong Kong has become increasingly serious, and bed bugs are found in public places, guesthouses and residential flats. The problem is particularly serious in districts where second class guesthouses and old public rental housing (PRH) estates are concentrated. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether legislation is currently in place to require operators of guesthouses to ensure good hygiene standard in guesthouses so that their guests will not be bitten by bed bugs; if so, of the details; if not, whether relevant legislation will be formulated;
(b) whether the Government, facing the increasingly serious problem of bed bugs, will eradicate bed bugs in public places and PRH estates which are infested with bed bugs, so as to eliminate such a nuisance to the public; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(c) whether it will establish a mechanism for monitoring the spread and distribution of bed bug infestation in the whole territory, assessing the risk of disease transmission by bed bugs and implementing measures to prevent and control bed bug infestation; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
Bedbugs are generally not considered as disease vectors. For effective control of bedbug infestation, members of the public are advised to take the following measures: maintaining a clean domestic environment; cleaning premises regularly; washing bedding and clothing thoroughly; making sure that second-hand wooden furniture is free from bedbugs before using it; replacing worn-out wallpapers and sealing cracks/crevices on walls and the floor promptly, etc.
My reply to the three parts of the question is as follows:
(a) Under the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance (Cap. 349), premises intended for use as a hotel or guesthouse shall comply with the requirements on sanitary fitments etc. under the Buildings Ordinance (Cap. 123). In June 2008, the Centre for Health Protection, the Department of Health issued a set of guidelines on "Infection Control and Prevention in the Hotel Industry", providing practical information for those who work in hotels on infection control and measures to prevent the spreading of communicable diseases. All hotel employees have the responsibility to acquaint themselves with the guidelines and follow the recommendations laid down therein in their day-to-day work to reduce the risk of spreading communicable diseases.
(b) A good number of private companies that provide pest control services are available in the market. Members of the public who have a bedbug problem at home may seek assistance from these companies direct. In general, upon receipt of complaints/enquiries, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will send its staff to conduct on-site inspections and provide the relevant parties with technical advice on bedbug control measures and health education. Information on bedbug control has been uploaded onto FEHD's website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/safefood/risk-pest-arthropod.html) and published in the form of a leaflet to help the public better understand the bedbug problem. Where necessary, FEHD will conduct pest control work in public places.
(c) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, there is at present no known evidence which shows that bedbugs spread diseases. Such being the case, FEHD has not at present established any monitoring mechanism for bedbug infestation. The pest control work currently being carried out by FEHD on a sustained basis is targeted at the control of rodents, mosquitoes and other arthropod pests which pose a threat to human health, in order to ensure the elimination of disease vectors.
For mosquito control, FEHD has put in place an enhanced dengue vector surveillance programme since 2003. The information thus collected is used to make timely adjustments to our mosquito control strategies and measures. Moreover, FEHD organises annual anti-mosquito campaigns on a territory-wide basis to heighten public awareness of the potential risk posed by mosquito-borne diseases, and to encourage community participation and promote concerted efforts on the part of government departments in anti-mosquito work.
For rodent prevention and control, FEHD takes a number of measures in districts with relatively high rodent infestation rates. The measures include eliminating and trapping rats in rear lanes, filling rat holes, stepping up street cleansing and encouraging active participation of the public in anti-rodent work, as well as strengthening publicity and education programmes in rodent prevention and control.
The Government is conscious of the need to keep its methodology in pest control under review, in the interest of ensuring the effectiveness and efficacy of our measures in combating disease vectors.
Ends/Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Issued at HKT 14:16
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