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Saturday, Feb 22, 2025
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Keep the tap running to 'filter out' melioidosis
Turn on the water tap and keep it running for a minute to “filter out” water possibly contaminated with melioidosis, health expert Yuen Kwok-yung suggested on Tuesday after he inspected two service reservoirs in Sham Shui Po to track the newly emerged disease.
He also recommended the Water Supplies Department raise the chlorine level in drinking water from 1 to 1.2 milligrams per liter, so that there will be sufficient chlorine residual to kill the virus.
So far, Hong Kong has reported 31 melioidosis cases, and seven patients have passed away. Among them, 23 lived in Sham Shui Po.
Yuen and officials from the Centre for Health Protection also collected environmental samples from Shek Kip Mei Service Reservoir and Butterfly Valley Fresh Water Primary Service Reservoir during their visits Tuesday morning.
Speaking to the media, Yuen said he is satisfied with the overall operations of the two service reservoirs, and their disinfection procedures match the requirements outlined by the World Health Organization.
Their inspections also confirmed citizens can safely consume the drinking water without catching melioidosis, Yuen added.
With no epidemiological link discovered among the patients, authorities will continue their investigations targeting the soil samples, drinking water, and patients' personal items, Yuen noted.
Earlier, the CHP found four environmental samples at a construction site at Pak Tin Estate Redevelopment Phase 10 that tested positive and believed the infection risk was higher because of the digging work. Yet, no worker there has been infected.
Back then, the CHP said they couldn't confirm if the positive cases shared the same infection source and would continue their investigations by testing the environmental samples.
Separately, the Centre for Health Protection said three new melioidosis infection cases had been confirmed on Tuesday.
The first case involves an 88-year-old male who lives in North Point. He attended the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital on October 4 due to fever and was admitted on the same day.
The second case involves a 69-year-old male. During the incubation period, he lives in Tseung Kwan O most of the time and in Chai Wan occasionally. He started to develop fever on October 4 and was admitted to the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital two days later.
According to CHP, the patients mentioned above had not visited Sham Shui Po or any places in common prior to their onset, nor had they drunk unboiled water. Infection from food or products can be ruled out at this stage.
The third case involves an 89-year-old male living in a private Sham Shui Po building. He attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Caritas Medical Centre on October 8 due to shortness of breath, wheezing and leg edema and was admitted on the same day.
So far, Hong Kong has reported 31 melioidosis cases, and seven patients have passed away. Among them, 23 lived in Sham Shui Po.
Yuen and officials from the Centre for Health Protection also collected environmental samples from Shek Kip Mei Service Reservoir and Butterfly Valley Fresh Water Primary Service Reservoir during their visits Tuesday morning.
Speaking to the media, Yuen said he is satisfied with the overall operations of the two service reservoirs, and their disinfection procedures match the requirements outlined by the World Health Organization.
Their inspections also confirmed citizens can safely consume the drinking water without catching melioidosis, Yuen added.
With no epidemiological link discovered among the patients, authorities will continue their investigations targeting the soil samples, drinking water, and patients' personal items, Yuen noted.
Earlier, the CHP found four environmental samples at a construction site at Pak Tin Estate Redevelopment Phase 10 that tested positive and believed the infection risk was higher because of the digging work. Yet, no worker there has been infected.
Back then, the CHP said they couldn't confirm if the positive cases shared the same infection source and would continue their investigations by testing the environmental samples.
Separately, the Centre for Health Protection said three new melioidosis infection cases had been confirmed on Tuesday.
The first case involves an 88-year-old male who lives in North Point. He attended the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital on October 4 due to fever and was admitted on the same day.
The second case involves a 69-year-old male. During the incubation period, he lives in Tseung Kwan O most of the time and in Chai Wan occasionally. He started to develop fever on October 4 and was admitted to the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital two days later.
According to CHP, the patients mentioned above had not visited Sham Shui Po or any places in common prior to their onset, nor had they drunk unboiled water. Infection from food or products can be ruled out at this stage.
The third case involves an 89-year-old male living in a private Sham Shui Po building. He attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Caritas Medical Centre on October 8 due to shortness of breath, wheezing and leg edema and was admitted on the same day.
