Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, at the question-and-answer session of the media session today (June 28) on the quarterly land sale programme for July to September 2019: … read more
The Assistant Commissioner of Police (Support), Ms Rebecca Lam Hiu-tong, met with the Director (Quality and Safety) of the Hospital Authority (HA), Dr K L Chung today (June 28) for candid and frank exchanges on how to enha… read more
The Registration and Electoral Office (REO) today (June 28) urged eligible persons who have not yet registered as electors to submit applications for new registration by the statutory deadline of July 2 so that their registration particulars can be included in the final register to be released in September this year, and they can vote in the District Council Ordinary Election to be held in November.
Members of the public can submit completed application forms in different ways, such as by fax to 2891 1180; by email to form@reo.gov.hk; or submit in person during office hours to the REO at 10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong or at 13/F, Kowloonbay International Trade and Exhibition Centre, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon.
“The public should avoid sending an email to REO’s email account attached with a large number of completed application forms as it may cause delivery failure because of the large file size,” an REO spokesman said.
The REO has received a large number of voter registration application emails recently. Due to a significant increase in traffic, the operation of the email account has been temporarily affected. The REO will closely monitor the situation and will speed up the processing of the voter registration application emails.
Members of the public are advised to check, after sending their voter registration application through email, if they receive a confirmation email (as attached) automatically sent by the REO email server. Applicants are advised to resend the voter registration application email or apply through the other ways aforementioned if the confirmation email is not received. The REO will process the applications as long as the application forms reach REO office or REO server by the statutory deadline of July 2.
Forms for voter registration can be obtained from the REO, the District Offices and management offices of public housing estates. They can also be downloaded from the voter registration website (www.voterregistration.gov.hk).
For enquiries, please contact the REO hotline 2891 1001. read more
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is investigating this evening (June 28) a local case of Japanese encephalitis (JE) and again urged the public to avoid going to rural areas from dusk till dawn when the vector, which breeds in large water bodies such as rice paddies, is most active.
According to the patient’s family, the female patient, aged 63 with good past health, lives in Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling. She has presented with fever, vomiting and decreased general condition since June 21. She attended the Accident and Emergency Department of North District Hospital on June 23 and was admitted for management subsequently. She is now in a serious condition.
Her cerebrospinal fluid tested positive for immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies against JE upon laboratory testing.
Initial enquiries revealed that the patient had no travel history in the incubation period and had no exposure to farm and pig. Her local movements before onset were mainly from her residence to Cheung Wah Market in Fanling and Shek Wu Hui Market in Sheung Shui. Her home contacts have remained asymptomatic and have been put under medical surveillance. Investigations are ongoing.
“We are working with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) to prevent any possible spread of infection. The FEHD and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department have been informed for vector investigations, surveillance and control,” the spokesman said.
Officers of the CHP will conduct site visit and field investigations by questionnaire surveys at the patient’s residence for active case finding and arranging blood tests. A health talk will be held jointly with the FEHD at Cheung Wah Community Hall, Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling at 6.30pm tomorrow (June 29) to deliver health advice to residents and the public.
Persons who have been to the vicinity of Cheung Wah Estate or Cheung Wah Market in Fanling or Shek Wu Hui Market in Sheung Shui with JE symptoms should call the CHP’s hotline (2125 1122) operating from 9am to 5.45pm daily starting tomorrow for laboratory investigation or referral as appropriate.
The CHP will issue letters to local doctors and hospitals to alert them to the latest situation.
This is the first JE case recorded in 2019, which was locally acquired. No case was recorded in 2018 and five cases, which were all locally acquired, were recorded in 2017.
JE mainly occurs in the rural and agricultural areas of Asia and the Western Pacific. JE is principally transmitted by the bites of infected mosquitoes. The principal vector is called Culex tritaeniorhynchus. The mosquitoes breed where there is abundant water such as rice paddies and become infected by feeding on pigs and wild birds infected with the JE virus. The infected mosquitoes transmit the virus to humans and animals during biting. Symptoms usually start around four to 14 days after being infected.
To prevent JE, the public should take general measures to prevent mosquito bites and avoid going to rural areas from dusk till dawn when the mosquitoes spreading the virus are most active. Travellers to endemic areas should take special note.
The public should:
1. Wear loose, light-coloured, long-sleeved tops and trousers, and use DEET-containing insect repellent on exposed parts of the body and clothing;
2. Take additional preventive measures in outdoor activities:
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (June 28) investigating a case of human infection of rat Hepatitis E virus (HEV) and urged members of the public to be vigilant against hepatitis E infection and to strictly observe good personal, food and environmental hygiene.
The case involves a 73-year-old man with underlying illnesses, who had presented with liver function derangement earlier this month. He has been in a stable condition all along and no hospitalisation is required. His blood sample tested positive for rat HEV upon laboratory testing.
The CHP’s epidemiological investigations revealed that the patient resided in Wong Tai Sin. He could neither recall having direct contact with rodents or their excreta, nor had noticed rodents in his residence. He had no travel history during the incubation period.
“Based on the available epidemiological information, the source and the route of infection could not be determined. The CHP’s investigation is ongoing,” a spokesman for the CHP said.
“The CHP has already informed the Pest Control Advisory Section of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department about the case to carry out rodent control measures and survey as appropriate,” the spokesman added.
The exact mode of transmission of rat HEV to humans is unknown at the moment. Possible routes of transmission include ingestion of food or water contaminated by rodents or their excreta, exposure to environments or objects contaminated by rodents or their excreta and direct contact with rodents or their excreta. The usual HEV causing human infection is transmitted mainly through the faecal-oral route.
To prevent hepatitis E infection, members of the public should maintain good personal, food and environmental hygiene. For example, they should wash hands thoroughly before eating, store food properly or in the refrigerator, not leave food at room temperature for a long time, and use 1:99 diluted household bleach for general household cleaning and disinfection as household detergent may not be able to kill HEV. High-risk individuals, such as elderly persons with major underlying illness (especially those who have undergone organ transplantation), pregnant women, patients with chronic liver disease and patients with Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency (also known as G6PD Deficiency), who are infected with HEV may develop serious illness, so they should exercise extra caution.
The Five Keys to Food Safety should be adopted when handling food, i.e. Choose (choose safe raw materials), Clean (keep hands and utensils clean), Separate (separate raw and cooked food), Cook (cook thoroughly) and Safe Temperature (keep food at a safe temperature), to prevent food-borne diseases.