More than 100 people have contracted food poisoning in Hong Kong so far this year, many of them after eating oysters.
The Ministry of Health’s Center for Health Protection (CHP) said older people, pregnant women, children and people with weakened immune systems should avoid eating raw oysters and undercooked bivalve shellfish because they are at a higher risk of developing complications if infected with norovirus.
CHP recorded 45 clusters of food poisoning affecting 53 men and 82 women ages 15 to 75. Almost 90% were related to norovirus, affecting 113 people.
The results of the epidemiological investigation showed that all people infected with norovirus consumed raw oysters during the incubation period. Six people required hospitalization, but all are in stable condition.
“Over the past few weeks, the number of recorded food poisoning cases has continued to increase, rising from an average of one case per week in late December to an average of four cases per week in January,” said Dr. Edwin Tsui, director of the CHP.
“Because oysters are filter-feeding, if they are grown or harvested from polluted water, they can accumulate large amounts of seawater and pathogens. On Lunar New Year, they often eat together with relatives and friends. We remind the public that they should only eat well-cooked food, especially shellfish, whether at home or in a restaurant, to avoid contracting intestinal diseases.”
Suspension of imports
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department’s (FEHD) Center for Food Safety (CFS) has expressed “deep concern” about food poisoning linked to oysters.
The investigation revealed a case related to eating raw oysters supplied by Korea’s Seojun Products. In early February, CFS ordered a halt to the import and sale of oysters supplied by the company to Hong Kong.
Other outbreaks have been traced to the consumption of raw oysters supplied by food factories Jeton International Foods and 88 Investment Holdings. CFS ordered the company to stop selling and supplying raw oysters, and requested that the companies also stop selling oysters supplied by related companies.
Following a recent surge in food poisoning cases, FEHD has stepped up inspections of grocery stores across Hong Kong. This visit focused on investigating the storage temperature of raw oysters, designated refrigerator storage conditions, source of supply, personal hygiene of food handlers, store hygiene conditions, verification of original documents and health certificates, and collection of samples for testing. FEHD inspected at least 430 sites selling oysters.
Regulations require that ready-to-eat raw oysters be stored in a refrigerator or refrigerator compartment separate from other foods at a temperature between 0 and 4°C (32 and 39.2°F).
