The Centre for Food Safety (CFS), established in 2006, is tasked to enhance food safety regulatory functions to raise public confidence in the level of food safety.
The CFS has nine sections responsible for various tasks, including food surveillance and certification, exercising import control and conducting inspections and tests on live food animals, assessing risks of certain categories of food, and disseminating food safety information. It also investigates food poisoning outbreaks on food premises and advises on food standards.
Safety Control of Imported Food
As most food supplies originate from outside Hong Kong, import control is an important part of the CFS's work.
The control process - comprising a pre-entry licensing system, verification of health documents and surveillance at import control points - basically applies to certain categories of high-risk food, such as game, meat, poultry, milk and frozen confections.
Safety Control of Imported Food in 2013
| Applications approved for import licence for frozen/chilled meat and poultry | 95,276 |
| Applications approved for import of game, meat and poultry | 3,257 |
| Applications approved for import of milk and milk products | 401 |
| Applications approved for import of frozen confections | 216 |
| Number of vehicles carrying vegetables inspected by the Man Kam To Food Control Office | 32,721 |
Part of the day-to-day task of ensuring food safety involves close liaison with consulates, Mainland and overseas food authorities, importers, the Customs and Excise Department and other relevant organisations.
Food Surveillance and Handling Food Complaints
Continuous monitoring, testing and law enforcement are keys to ensuring the safety of Hong Kong's food supplies. Food samples are tested at every stage in the supply process: from import and manufacture to wholesale and retail.
During the year, about 64,400 samples of food were taken for testing, which is about nine samples for every 1,000 people in Hong Kong.
Food samples undergo microbiological examinations, chemical analyses and radiation level tests to assess their conformity to legal standards and labelling requirements.
The Man Kam To Food Laboratory provides expeditious and comprehensive testing services, mainly on fresh produce imported from the Mainland. The testing services are divided into three categories:
(i) Analysis of pesticide residues in fresh vegetables and fruits. Testing parameters include isocarbophos, methamidophos and other organophosphorous pesticides, N-methyl carbamates and pyrethroids.
(ii) Analysis of veterinary drug residues in raw milk. Testing parameters include aminoglycosides, beta-lactams, chloramphenicol, ceftiofur, lincomycin, macrolides, polypeptides, quinolones, sulfonamides, synthetic hormones, tetracyclines and trimethoprim.
(iii) Analysis of melamine in samples of raw milk and pasteurised milk imported from the Mainland.
Enforcement actions are taken against unsatisfactory surveillance results. The data collected through the Food Surveillance Programme is also reviewed and analysed regularly to help topical studies, in addition to assessing the risk of specific foods and formulation of food safety strategies.
In 2013, a total of 5,005 food complaints were handled.
Statistics on the Food Surveillance Programme in 2013
(A) Testing of food samples
| Testing | Number# | Percentage# |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical | ||
| Test conducted | 43,950 | - |
| Satisfactory | 43,924 | 99.9% |
| Microbiological | ||
| Test conducted | 15,630 | - |
| Satisfactory | 15,599 | 99.8% |
| Radiation level | ||
| Test conducted | 5,036 | - |
| Satisfactory | 5,036 | 100% |
# Excluding 56,382 samples of imported Japanese food tested for radiation level in 2013.
(B) Enforcement of food labelling
| Food labels inspected | 55,150 |
| Written warnings issued | 219 |
| Prosecutions taken out | 40 |
Management of Food Incidents
The CFS monitors food incidents, both local and overseas, on a daily basis. Around 1,300 food incidents were identified in 2013. Upon identifying food incidents, the CFS will consider factors such as risk to consumers, local regulations and availability of the concerned food product before deciding on the most appropriate risk management actions.
Besides, the CFS will communicate with related health authorities, importers and distributors on the food incidents. If necessary, the CFS will take actions such as requesting the trade to stop sale, conducting testing as and when appropriate, issuing warning letters and direct recall of products. The CFS will issue rapid alert to traders and inform them of the latest situation. It will also issue press releases to provide advice for consumers if the food incidents are of major public health concern locally. In addition, information on food incidents that are assessed to have limited local impact has been provided through the "Food Incident Post" on the CFS website since September 2012 to alert individuals who might be in possession of related food products through e-trade, travel, or other personal reasons. About 290 trade alerts, over 10 press releases on food incidents and some 230 food incident posts were issued by the CFS in 2013.
Staffed by doctors and nurses, the Food Incidents Response and Management Unit of the Risk Management Section, in collaboration with the Centre for Health Protection, investigates outbreaks of food poisoning and food-borne infectious diseases on food premises, identifies the contributing factors and assists in tracing sources of suspected food. The unit also educates the food handlers about food, personal and environmental hygiene. Around 350 investigations were carried out by the unit into food-borne diseases in 2013. Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens and Norovirus were the most commonly implicated causative agents in food poisoning outbreaks related to food premises. The contributing factors more frequently identified during investigations included inadequate cooking, improper holding temperatures and contaminated raw food.
Food Safety Ordinance
The Food Safety Ordinance (Chapter 612), which strengthens food safety control to protect public health, commenced full operation on 1 February 2012 following a six-month grace period. The new Ordinance introduces a food tracing mechanism to help the Government trace the source of the food more effectively and take prompt action when dealing with food incidents. The food tracing mechanism includes a registration scheme for food importers and food distributors and a record-keeping requirement relating to movement of food. Under the Ordinance, food importers and distributors, other than those who have already registered or obtained a licence under other ordinances listed at Schedule 1 of the Ordinance, have to register with the Department. The Ordinance also provides power for the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene to make food safety orders to prohibit the import and supply of problem food and order the recall of such food. By the end of 2013, 6,779 food importers and 5,959 food distributors have been registered.
Safety Control of Live Food Animals
The Veterinary Public Health Section (VPHS) and the Slaughterhouse (Veterinary) Section are mainly responsible for import control and conducting disease surveillance programmes on live food animals with public health significance.
Implementing the concept of "from farm to table", veterinary staff members visit registered farms exporting to Hong Kong to understand their husbandry practices. In 2013, VPHS inspected a total of 70 registered farms and 36 processing plants on the Mainland. These included farms of chickens, ducks, pigeons, geese, pigs, cattle, fish, shellfish, hairy crabs and food turtles.
During the year, 3.3 million live chickens and other poultry were imported into Hong Kong. These animals were subjected to quarantine and inspection procedures by VPHS staff at the designated entry point -- Man Kam To Control Point.
Number of imported food poultry inspected and blood samples tested in 2013
| Type of poultry | No. of poultry imported | No. of blood samples tested | No. of animal health certificates verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chickens and other poultry | approx. 3,261,800 | 48,804 | 2,324 |
Number of local and imported food animals inspected in 2013
| Type of animal | No. of animals inspected | No. of animal health certificates verified |
|---|---|---|
| Pigs | 1,672,298 | 38,918 health certificates and 9,309 admission forms for local pigs |
| Cattle | 19,156 | 1,720 health certificates 1 admission form for local cattle |
| Goats | 6,472 | 59 health certificates |
| No. of urine samples collected in food animals for testing of prohibited and restricted chemicals | 51,558 |
The Public Health (Animals and Birds) (Chemical Residues) Regulation prohibits the use of certain chemicals, including clenbuterol, and restricts the residue levels of a number of chemicals in food animals. In 2013, no pig was tested positive for prohibited chemicals during the urine compliance tests. During the same period, 8,148 tissues and blood samples were collected from food animals for testing of veterinary drug residues and for disease surveillance. Eight consignments of pigs were tested positive for restricted chemicals during the tissue compliance tests.
The Quarantine Detector Dog Unit is responsible for interdicting raw meat smuggling at all land border control points by means of hand-carries by inbound passengers as well as mass transit by trucks. The unit serves to safeguard public health by avoiding meat from unknown sources which may contain contagious and zoonotic pathogens such as E. coli O157 and avian influenza, to be imported into Hong Kong. There are four quarantine detector dogs in the unit. During the year, a total of 111 illegal meat import cases were detected.
Types of raw meat and number of cases detected by quarantine detector dogs in 2013
| Types of raw meat | No. of cases | Quantity (kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Meat | 63 | 152.7 |
| Poultry | 10 | 37.64 |
| Assorted Meat and Poultry | 38 | 190.58 |
For the export of food products of animal origin, 108 veterinary health certificates were issued for products such as chicken powder, ice cream, mooncakes, and instant noodle. The value of these products totalled $120 million. They were exported to Australia, Belgium, Canada, Macao, New Zealand, the Netherlands, UK and USA.
Risk Assessment
Risk assessment forms the scientific basis, in a risk-based food safety control model, for risk management and risk communication. It includes systematic estimation and evaluation of the likelihood and severity of the adverse health effects resulting from exposure to food-borne hazards based on the best available scientific evidence. A typical risk assessment consists of four steps - hazard identification, hazard characterisation, exposure assessment and risk characterisation.
Researches, projects and literature studies are part of the CFS's risk assessment work. In addition, food safety incidents and issues, both inside and outside Hong Kong, are monitored and assessed on a daily basis. These allow the CFS to respond promptly and proactively in order to protect the public from exposing to hazards that are considered harmful to humans.
Risk Assessment Projects
During 2013, the CFS embarked on several risk assessment projects, namely: "Study on Microbiological Quality of Prepackaged Long Shelf Life Refrigerated Products", "Sugars Content of Some Non-prepackaged Food in Hong Kong", "Legibility of Nutrition Labels in Prepackaged Food in Hong Kong" and "Caffeine Content in Coffee and Milk Tea Prepared in Local Food Premises". The latter two were conducted jointly with the Consumer Council.
Information on food risk is provided to the public through a series of "Risk-in-brief" (RIB) papers, which are posted on the CFS website. In 2013, new issues of RIBs on "Aluminium in Food", "Halogen Oven and Food Safety", and "Risks and Benefits of Fish Soup Consumption" were released. RIB of "Bisphenol A and Food Safety" was updated.
Food Consumption Survey
The Government commissioned the Chinese University of Hong Kong to conduct the first territory-wide population-based Food Consumption Survey to collect information on the food consumption patterns of the general public. The final report and relevant information is available from the CFS website. Results of the survey have enhanced the capacity of risk assessment work and facilitated the conduct of the Total Diet Study.
Total Diet Study
Total Diet Study (TDS) is internationally recognised as one of the most cost-effective ways to estimate the dietary exposure to a range of chemicals or nutrients of different population sub-groups. It allows the CFS to proactively assess whether specific chemicals would pose a risk to public health. In addition, it provides a scientific basis for formulating food safety strategies, undertaking surveillance and monitoring of food and food products, establishing regulatory standards for food and identifying deficiencies in the food safety regulatory regime. Moreover, as TDS also measures the amount of chemicals ingested by people of different age and sex groups, it enables the identification of the population groups that are most vulnerable and facilitates the formulation of action plans tailor-made for these groups. In 2013, the CFS released reports on metallic contaminants, acrylamide and mycotoxins of the first Hong Kong Total Diet Study. The reports on the remaining substances will be released in phases.
Nutrition Labelling
To assist consumers to make healthier food choices, encourage the trade to adopt sound nutritional principles in food production and regulate misleading or deceptive nutrition claims, a Nutrition Labelling Scheme (the Scheme) was launched. The Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) (Amendment: Requirements for Nutrition Labelling and Nutrition Claim) Regulation 2008 (the Amendment Regulation) was enacted by the Legislative Council on 28 May 2008 and the Scheme has been implemented smoothly since 1 July 2010.
In order to assist the trade and laboratory service providers to understand and comply with the Scheme, online resources (including technical guidance notes, trade guidelines, frequently asked questions, Nutrition Label Calculator, etc.), telephone hotline and helpdesk service are provided to traders. A prepackaged food product with annual sales volume not exceeding 30,000 units, which does not carry nutrition claims on its label or in any advertisement, can be exempted from the nutrition labeling requirements stipulated in the Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulations (Cap. 132W) under the Small Volume Exemption scheme. As of the end of 2013, there are 16,491 products exempted.
On the education front, to enhance public knowledge of nutrition labelling, reinforce the practice of making use of nutrition information in the nutrition labels and echo with the theme "high blood pressure" of World Health Day 2013, the CFS has launched a publicity and educational campaign in 2013 to encourage consumers to compare nutrition labels and choose the lower sodium options.
Formula products and foods intended for infants and young children under the age of 36 months
To better protect the health of infants and young children, the Administration put forward a package of legislative proposals relating to formula products and foods intended for infants and young children under the age of 36 months. The legislative proposals comprised requirements on nutritional composition of infant formulae and nutrition labelling of infant formulae, follow-up formulae and other foods for infants and young children. A two-month public consultation exercise was conducted from 20 November 2012 to 21 January 2013 to collect views from the public as well as interested stakeholders. The Administration received strong support for the legislative proposals from respondents in the public consultation exercise and proceeded with drafting the legislation for tabling at the Legislative Council in 2014.
Nutrient Information Inquiry System
The Nutrient Information Inquiry System (NIIS) is a web-based searchable database containing nutrient information (including energy and 18 nutrients) on over 7,000 food items which are of relevance and interest to the local community. It is available free of charge with two functions: a Food Nutrient Finder (for people who want to browse and search for information about a specific food or nutrient) and a Food Nutrient Calculator (for people who want to estimate the nutrient intake from selected foods using the available data from NIIS). The information provided is for personal non-commercial use and reference to make healthy food choices. New foods and more interactive features (e.g. information display, food/ nutrient selection) are added in the Food Nutrient Finder. Besides energy and 18 nutrients, trans fat (also in the main database), iodine and alcohol (for alcoholic beverages only) in some local foods are also presented in separate tables, if available.
Food Standards
Setting food standards is an integral part of risk management in food safety. In setting new local food standards, the CFS takes reference from international food standards established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, and scientific evaluations performed by internationally recognised authorities, such as the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), and the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR).
To better protect public health, facilitate effective regulatory control of pesticide residues in food and promote harmonisation between local and international standards, the Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (Cap. 132CM) (the Regulation), made by the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene on 26 April 2012, will commence on 1 August 2014. The CFS has been providing briefings, training and guidelines for different sectors to prepare them for the new Regulation during the two-year grace period.
On the other hand, the CFS started the standard setting work on the veterinary drug residues in food. A Working Group comprising representatives from various government departments and members of the Expert Committee on Food Safety was formed to formulate the legislative framework. Upon finalising the proposed regulatory framework, the CFS will conduct public consultation.
In 2011, the CFS commenced work to review the Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) Regulations (Cap. 132V) and revise the Microbiological Guidelines for Ready-to-eat food. Two designated Working Groups under the Expert Committee were formed and continued to give advice on these tasks.
Genetically Modified Food
Genetically modified (GM) food refers to food or a food ingredient that is, or is derived from, an organism in which genetic material has been modified using modern biotechnology. GM food currently available in the international market has passed safety assessments of food safety regulatory authorities and is not likely to present risks to human health.
Since July 2006, the CFS has issued "Guidelines for Voluntary Labelling of GM Food" to the trade, encouraging the trade to adopt a voluntary labelling system for GM food. In collaboration with the Government Laboratory, two quantitative GM food testing methods were developed during the year under the capacity building programme. The CFS also focuses on public education on GM food. Relevant information is conveyed to the public through publications such as GM Food Newsletter.
Risk Communication
Effective communication with stakeholders is of pivotal importance in the area of food safety. Adopting a risk analysis approach in food safety control, the CFS recognises that communication is a crucial two-way process and that tripartite collaboration among the food trade, the public and the Government is vital in upholding food safety in Hong Kong. The Risk Communication Section provides the point of contact for stakeholders as well as operates various forms of interactive forums, platforms and programmes to enable the food trade and the public to actively contribute to food safety.
The trade consultation forum, first held in July 2006, has become a regular function for the trade to meet with the Centre to exchange latest information, views and developments in food safety. It is held five to six times a year to collect views on food safety matters and comments on food safety control measures as well as risk communication activities. As for the consumers, the Centre works actively with the Consumer Liaison Group to collect feedbacks and suggestions on various food safety issues. Enrolled on a voluntary basis, members of the Group communicate with the Centre from time to time through various forms of meetings as well as formal and informal communications to help shape the Centre's communication strategies.
The Food Safety Seminar for Trade was organised on 16 September 2013 at the Lecture Theatre of Hong Kong Central Library. The aim was to provide a forum for interactive exchange of information and views on current and important food safety issues in Hong Kong between the Government and food trade. At the seminar, the CFS briefed the trade on the latest regulatory requirements in Hong Kong, food safety practices and food safety new initiatives. A total of 247 trade representatives participated in the seminar.
To promote the use of nutrition labelling (NL) across different sectors in the society, two NL promotional schemes with the title of "Live it, Use it", namely "Live it, Use it" Nutrition Labelling Promotion Award Scheme and "Live it, Use it" Nutrition Labelling Fun Shopping Award Scheme, were implemented to promote the use of nutrition labeling to the participating schools and community organisations in 2013. A variety of creative promotion activities were also conducted by 23 secondary schools and 30 community organisations. A Sharing Session cum Award Presentation Ceremony was held on 8 July. In order to enhance the knowledge and skills on using nutrition labels among the public and to echo with the theme "high blood pressure" of World Health Day 2013, the CFS organised seminars with updated resource materials surrounding the key messages on comparing nutrition labels and choose the lower sodium options.
The Food Safety Charter has been jointly developed by the CFS and the food trade since 2008. It facilitates the food trade to incorporate appropriate measures in their day-to-day practices and encourages the trade to commit to providing quality services grounded on food safety to their patrons. The year 2013 marked the beginning of a three–year new term. As at end of December 2013, a total of 23 food trade associations and 1,669 licensed food premises have signed up to the Charter. Members of the public can identify the signatories by the Food Safety Charter certificates and stickers on display in their food premises and by the Food Safety Charter icon displayed next to the name of food premises that has signed up to the Charter on the OpenRice.com webpage. Selected signatories shared their experience on sourcing of food ingredients. The interview report "Make a Wise Food Choice: Choosy Restaurants Smart Diners" was posted on OpenRice.com for two weeks in November 2013.
On the side of food safety promotion activities, the CFS launched a media and communication campaign themed "Make a Wise Food Choice" to remind members of the public to observe good food safety practice. To kick start a series of activities, the Food Safety Day 2013 with the theme "Make a Wise Food Choice" was held at Citywalk, Tsuen Wan on 22 June. Other publicity activities included a new set of TV and radio Announcements in the Public Interest, a series of public and trade talks between July and September jointly organised with food trade associations. The award presentation ceremony for the "Safe Food‧Gourmet Paradise" photo competition was held on 22 June at the Food Safety Day 2013 event with the winning photographs displayed for public viewing.
The CFS as one of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centres for Risk Analysis of Chemicals in Food since October 2010 is destined to contribute to the public health especially in food safety at the regional level. The Centre continued to support WHO activities under their designated activity areas.
The Risk Communication Section has also put in place a range of mechanisms to keep the public and the trade informed of food safety issues in a timely and proactive manner. The "Rapid Alert System" delivers prompt email/fax messages to the food trade explaining food incidents, providing advice and enquiry phone numbers. Food alerts are issued on the CFS website and via electronic means when food incidents of major public health concern are identified. The CFS has launched its own Facebook webpage on 1 October 2013, and information on food safety and health is also disseminated through the social media to facilitate communication and interaction with the public. "The Food Incident Post" on the CFS website presents overseas food safety incidents that do not have major impact on local population. The monthly electronic newsletter "Food Safety Focus" posted on the CFS website covers current local and overseas food safety issues and actions undertaken by the CFS. It also provides professional and easy-to-understand information on various food hazards and related public health risks. Quarterly publications, "Food Safety Bulletin" and "Food Safety Express", target the general public and the trade respectively. Starting from 2009, the CFS issues the Food Safety Reports monthly instead of bimonthly. In addition, reports on five Seasonal Food Surveillance projects and 11 Targeted Food Surveillance were also issued in 2013. The fortnightly e-news helps subscribers to keep abreast of the latest activities and information.
The Risk Communication Section handles enquiries on food safety. It also publicises the results of food surveillance and risk assessment studies and relevant health advice. The CFS maintains a wide range of resource materials including guidelines, pamphlets, posters and exhibition boards, as well as topical giveaway items for consumption of the public and the trade. Members of the public may also contact the Communication Resource Unit of the Section for customised support on food safety initiatives.
The emergency telephone hotline centre at the office of Communication Resource Unit operated from 5 to 12 August 2013 and handled over 1,200 public enquiries about infant formula products suspected to be affected by Clostridium botulinum. The hotline centre enhances the capacity in answering enquiries especially during major food incidents/crisis.
Summary of Risk Communication Activities in 2013
| Item | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of educational/publicity programmes organised | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| No. of resource materials produced | 114 | 84 | 78 | 75 | 56 |
| Total attendance at public education/communication activities | 173,908 | 199,098 | 208,285 | 178,763 | 158,247 |
| No. of public enquiries handled | 7,524 | 6,441 | 5,948 | 4,312 | 4,443 |
| No. of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) seminars/workshops | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 |
| Seasonal Food Surveillance |
|---|
| Lunar New Year food |
| Rice Dumplings |
| Mooncakes |
| Hairy Crabs |
| Microbiological Quality of Poon Choi |
| Targeted Food Surveillance |
|---|
| Microbiological Quality of Bottled Water |
| Microbiological Quality of Chinese Cold Dishes |
| Sulphur Dioxide in Meat (Two Phases) |
| Microbiological Quality of Lunch Boxes |
| Microbiological Quality of Refrigerated Pre-packaged Boxed Meal that Required Reheating before Consumption |
| Microbiological Quality of Ice-cream and Frozen Confections |
| Listeria Monocytogenes in Ready-to-eat Food kept under Refrigeration |
| Sudan Dyes in Eggs and Egg Products |
| Nuts and Seeds |
| Nitrate and Nitrite in Meat, Meat Products and Cheese |
HACCP-based Food Safety Plan
The adoption of a food safety plan (FSP) was continually promoted during the year. The FSP is a proactive food safety assurance model based on the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP). Promotional programmes are devised for specific trade sectors, including "poon choi" suppliers, caterers for elderly homes, schools and child-care centres and food premises selling siu mei, supplying lunch boxes, sushi, sashimi, raw oyster and meat to be eaten raw. Workshops and seminars are organised for managerial and operational staff of the target groups. Members of the public have also been included in the publicity programme as a better informed public is an added incentive for the trade to implement HACCP principles.
Food hygiene seminars and workshops were held from March to December to introduce the concept of food risk and to highlight the FSP as an important risk management measure for the trade and the public.
Pest Control
The FEHD is the Government's adviser on pest control matters and is responsible for handling problems of pests affecting public health. In meeting this goal, the Department adopts an integrated approach, putting equal emphasis on the effective use of pesticides and continuous improvements in environmental hygiene. It regularly updates its control methodologies and technologies, making reference to the latest recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). The Department works closely with the pest control trade in upholding the professional standards of pest control practices by offering professional support and advice.
Management of vector-borne diseases
Vector-borne diseases, including malaria, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis (JE), chikungunya fever, plague, scrub typhus, urban typhus, spotted fever and hantaan disease, continue to pose a threat to Hong Kong. Working with the Department of Health, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and the Home Affairs Department, the FEHD serves as an executive arm in the prevention and control of the above-mentioned vector-borne diseases. Investigations are initiated immediately once a disease is reported, followed by appropriate vector control measures.
Risk Assessment and Surveillance of Mosquitoes
Hong Kong is under the constant threat of dengue fever. Mosquito breeding grounds in the community and the port areas are monitored continually. The ovitrap indices obtained from these locations are released to the parties concerned and the public to increase community participation in controlling the vector and heighten awareness of the mosquito problem. In 2013, the average ovitrap index recorded in the community was 4.2%. The highest Monthly Average Ovitrap Index (MOI) recorded in the community was 14% (in June) and the highest port MOI was 1.9% (in June). These reflected that the mosquito problem was under control. In addition, a long-standing control programme against malaria-transmitting mosquitoes, covering some 600 streams, returned favourable results in 2013, revealing no evidence of local transmission of malaria.
During the year, the Department conducted 764,132 inspections with 46,199 mosquito breeding places found and eliminated, 128 warning letters issued, and 65 summonses taken out. Legal action was taken against those who allowed mosquitoes to breed on their premises.
Anti-mosquito campaign
An inter-departmental Anti-mosquito Campaign was launched in three phases in 2013. Anti-mosquito measures were strengthened with educational and publicity work, and there was a continued emphasis on eliminating breeding places.
Risk Assessment and Surveillance of Rodents
To keep track of the extent of rodent infestation, rodent infestation surveys have been conducted since 2000. The Rodent Infestation Rate (the percentage of bait consumed by rodents, obtained from different places at different times) is used to assess rodent problems at different places so as to take prompt action to prevent their proliferation. The overall Rodent Infestation Rate obtained in 2013 was 3.1% which indicated that rodent infestation was under control.
Inspections and disinfestations are also carried out regularly to contain rodent problems. During the year, the Department handled 6,813 reports of rodent problem with 30 written warnings issued, and collected 29,732 dead rodents (10,305 trapped and 19,427 poisoned). More than 5,880 rat holes were filled.
Moreover, the Department monitors the rat-flea index of waterfront and land port areas to assess the risk of plague transmission. The overall rat-flea indices of waterfront and land port areas under surveys in 2013 were 0.34 and zero respectively. Studies were also carried out in rear lanes to monitor the rat-flea situation and the overall rat-flea index was found to be 0.09. (The WHO states that a Rat-flea Index greater than 1 represents an increased plague risk for humans if the plague bacillus has been introduced into a country or region.)
Anti-rodent campaign
In addition to routine rodent control measures, the Department engages community participation in its efforts to control rodents through the annual territory-wide inter-departmental Anti-rodent Campaign. The campaign was promoted through a number of channels, including theme talks and exhibitions.
Airport Disease Vectors Surveillance
Hong Kong is renowned for its vibrant international airport. To ensure that it is free from dengue fever and plague vectors, monitoring stations have been set up at various points in accordance with international health regulations. In 2013, 701 mosquito surveys were conducted, with MOI consistently below 0.7%. The rat-flea index recorded from rat-flea studies was zero. A total of 75 advisory letters were issued.
Cross-boundary Co-operation
As infectious diseases know no physical boundaries, close ties have been established among Guangdong Province, Macao and Hong Kong in the fight against such diseases and the disease vectors. In addition to regular meetings between the parties at senior administrative and professional levels, an exchange programme involving professionals from Guangdong and Hong Kong is in place to promote mutual understanding and cross-fertilisation of expertise. Information on disease vectors surveillance in port areas is also exchanged regularly.
Other Pest Control Programmes
Other than mosquitoes and rats, the Department controls, by disinfestations, other pests such as flies, fleas, mites, cockroaches, ants, wasps and ticks. In 2013, 89,627 disinfestation operations using pesticides were carried out. Staff are deployed to patrol refuse collection points, rear lanes and hygiene black spots to spray insecticides, as necessary, and remove items attracting flies.