Another secondary school in Kwun Tong District suffered from a cluster of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) symptoms after joining an exchange tour to the Mainland.
A total of 36 teachers and students of FDBWA Szeto Ho Secondary School participated in an exchange tour to Xiamen between March 13 and 15, during which six students developed AGE symptoms, including vomiting, diarrhea and fever, from about 9 pm on March 14 to about 7 am the next morning. Five of them sought medical attention in Xiamen, and none required hospitalization.
The CHP is investigating the source of this AGE outbreak from different aspects. Preliminary epidemiological investigations revealed that all six affected persons had not consumed any common food items other than the group meals and had no other common exposure history in Hong Kong prior to their departure. Hence, at this stage, the CHP could not rule out the possibility that the cases were infected by consuming contaminated food. The CHP has notified the Mainland health authority of the relevant epidemiological investigations and information regarding the restaurants concerned. The CHP is collecting stool specimens from the patients for laboratory testing and has notified the Education Bureau (EDB) of the relevant assessment.
According to the EDB, all the participants have returned to Hong Kong and the sick students have gradually recovered after returning to Hong Kong, with no episodes of vomiting and no new cases. For safety reasons, the contractors have been asked to stop using the relevant dining places.
The EDB and the contractors have been providing assistance and support measures, including arranging medical consultation and provision of medication, changing rooms for symptomatic students to prevent cross-infection and providing disinfectant supplies. In response to the cooler weather, the contractors have provided warm packs to keep the students warm, and the schools have notified the parents of the incident.
The Bureau has also reminded all contractors to immediately request restaurants providing group meals to stop serving higher-risk food items, including raw and cold food, cooked shellfish and seafood, and so on.
Regarding the three clusters of students participating in exchange tours to Shaoguan who developed gastroenteritis symptoms earlier, the CHP's follow-up investigation found that three more students developed gastroenteritis symptoms on March 7 and 9 respectively, bringing the total number of affected persons from the previously announced 52 teachers and students to 55. Among them, 16 have sought medical attention, and three have tested positive for norovirus. The CHP will continue to work closely with the Guangdong authority and take necessary follow-up actions.
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