The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (March 23) investigating two suspected food poisoning clusters affecting seven persons, and reminded the public to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene to prevent food-borne diseases.
 
     The first cluster involves two men and one woman aged from 31 to 36 who developed abdominal pain and diarrhoea eight to 49 hours after a meal in a restaurant in Mong Kok on the evening of March 13.
 
     The other cluster comprises three men and one woman aged from 26 to 37 who developed abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting 25 to 38 hours after a meal in the same restaurant on the same evening.
 
     All affected persons sought medical advice and none required hospitalisation. They have all been in a stable condition.
 
     "We have alerted the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department to the incident and investigations are ongoing," a spokesman for the CHP said.
 
     To prevent food-borne diseases, members of the public are reminded to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene at all times. When dining out:
 

• Avoid eating raw seafood;
• Be a discerning consumer in choosing cold dishes, including sashimi, sushi and raw oysters, at a buffet;
• Ensure food is thoroughly cooked before eating during a hot pot or barbecue meal;
• Handle raw and cooked foods carefully and separate them completely during the cooking process;
• Use two sets of chopsticks and eating utensils to handle raw and cooked food;
• Patronise only reliable and licensed restaurants;
• Do not patronise illegal food hawkers;
• Drink boiled water;
• Do not try to use salt, vinegar, wine and wasabi to kill bacteria as they are not effective; and
• Always wash hands before eating and after going to the toilet.

Ends/Thursday, March 23, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:57

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