A cholera scare in Shenzhen yesterday brought health warnings from Hong Kong doctors who fear people travelling across the border could bring back the disease.
Although Shenzhen authorities denied the reports of cholera, Hong Kong doctors warned people to take extra precautions when they travelled to Longgang county in Shenzhen, which was reported to have had more than 60 cases.
The reported outbreak follows eight recorded cholera cases in Hong Kong this year, seven contracted locally this month and one case imported in May.
On Friday, the Department of Health declared the disease had been brought under control, only for the eighth case to be confirmed on Sunday.
University of Hong Kong microbiology professor Ho Pak-leung said people should take extra cautions when drinking water in Shenzhen.
He said contaminated food and water sources were the most common channel of infection. People should also avoid cold cuts of meat or seafood that had not been thoroughly prepared.
According to Hong Kong media reports last night, Shenzhen's Wangmu village, believed to be the centre of the outbreak, had been sealed off by officials for disinfection. The reports said both the village and its hospital were tightly secured and villagers were not allowed to leave their homes. Some villagers said the area had been classified an epidemic area.
