The Centre for Food Safety (CFS), established in 2006, is tasked to enhance food safety regulation, in order to raise public confidence in food safety. It comprises four divisions: Risk Management Division, Risk Assessment and Communication Division, Corporate and System Management Division and Centre Administration Division.
The Risk Management Division is the operational arm responsible for food safety assurance. Its duties include food surveillance, enforcement, management of food incidents (including investigation of food poisoning outbreaks at food premises), food import control and export certification, as well as conducting inspections and tests on live food animals. The Risk Assessment and Communication Division is the research and development arm responsible for conducting risk assessment, advising on food standards and providing food safety information to the public as well as the food industry. The Corporate and System Management Division is responsible for formulating long term strategies for information technology-enabled business transformation and mapping out strategic proposals on re-engineering business processes, operational procedures and information management, with a view to developing computerised systems that can better support data analysis and risk profiling. The Centre Administration Division provides administrative support to the Centre.
Safety Control of Imported Food
As most of our food comes from outside Hong Kong, import control is an important part of the CFS' work.
The control process - comprising a pre-entry assurance system, verification of health documents and surveillance at import control points - mainly applies to certain categories of high-risk food, such as game, meat, poultry, eggs, milk and frozen confections.
Safety Control of Imported Food in 2020
| Applications approved for import licence for frozen/ chilled meat and poultry | 92,864 |
| Applications approved for import permission for game, meat, poultry and eggs | 2,057 |
| Applications approved for import permission for milk and milk products | 464 |
| Applications approved for import permission for frozen confections | 547 |
| Targeted inspections of food trucks at food control points | 12,000 |
Part of the day-to-day task of ensuring food safety involves close liaison with consulates, the Mainland and overseas food authorities, importers, the Customs and Excise Department and other relevant organisations.
Import control measures on Japanese food
The CFS adjusted the import control measures on Japanese food with effect from noon on 24 July 2018. According to the Variation of Food Safety Order, the vegetables, fruits, milk, milk beverages and dried milk from the four prefectures, namely Ibaraki, Tochigi, Chiba and Gunma, must be accompanied with radiation certificates issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan which will show the prefecture that the products come from and attest that the radiation levels of the products do not exceed the guideline levels of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex). The exporter concerned must also hold and produce a valid exporter certificate issued by the MAFF to certify that those food products exported to Hong Kong are readily available for sale in Japan (i.e. the radiation levels of the food products comply with the Japanese levels which are more stringent than the Codex guideline levels) and are fit for human consumption as far as radiological protection is concerned. The import ban on the abovementioned products from Fukushima remains in force.
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 67,000 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:
- Analysis of pesticide residues in fresh vegetables and fruits. Testing parameters include isocarbophos, methamidophos and other organophosphorous pesticides, N-methyl carbamates and pyrethroids.
- Analysis of veterinary drug residues and melamine in raw milk. Testing parameters for veterinary drug residues include aminoglycosides, beta-lactams, chloramphenicol, ceftiofur, lincomycin, macrolides, polypeptides, quinolones, sulfonamides, synthetic hormones, tetracyclines and trimethoprim.
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 formulating food safety strategies.
In 2020, a total of 4,092 food complaints were handled.
Statistics on the Food Surveillance Programme in 2020
(A) Testing of food samples
| Testing | Number# | Percentage# |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical | ||
| Test conducted | 44,478 | - |
| Satisfactory | 44,416 | 99.9% |
| Microbiological | ||
| Test conducted | 18,001 | - |
| Satisfactory | 17,964 | 99.8% |
| Radiation level | ||
| Test conducted | 4,108 | - |
| Satisfactory | 4,108 | 100% |
# Excluding 102,057 samples of imported Japanese food additionally tested for radiation level in 2020.
(B) Enforcement of food labelling
| Food labels inspected | 55,398 |
| Prosecutions taken out | 44 |
Management of Food Incidents
The CFS monitors food incidents, both local and overseas, on a daily basis. Around 2,010 food incidents were identified from the Food Incident Surveillance System (FISS) in 2020. The CFS will consider factors such as risk to consumers, local regulations and availability of the concerned food product to decide on the most appropriate risk management actions.
Besides, the CFS will communicate with related health authorities, importers, distributors and retailers on the food incidents. If necessary, the CFS will take actions such as requesting the trade to stop sale, conducting tests as and when appropriate, warning the trade concerned and direct recall of the products in question. The CFS will issue rapid alert to traders and inform them of the latest situation. It will also issue press releases to give advice to consumers if the food incidents are of public health concern to the local population. "Food Incident Post" might also be issued on the CFS website if it is anticipated that related food products might be acquired through e-trade, travel, or other personal channels. A total of 100 trade alerts, 59 press releases on food incidents and 215 food incident posts were issued by the CFS in 2020.
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 at food premises, identifies the contributing factors and assists in tracing the sources of suspected food. The unit also educates the food handlers about food, personal and environmental hygiene. A total of 265 visits cum investigations to food premises involved in food incidents were carried out by the unit in 2020. The most commonly implicated causative agents in food poisoning outbreaks related to food premises were Salmonella, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Norovirus, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and clostridium perfringens. The three most frequently identified contributing factors in descending order were contamination by raw food, contamination by food handler, and improper keeping temperature.
Enforcement of Food Safety Ordinance
The Food Safety Ordinance (Chapter 612) (the Ordinance), which strengthens food safety control to protect public health, commenced full operation on 1 February 2012. The 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 2020, there were totally 10,462 registered food importers and 8,660 registered food distributors.
Food Trader Portal
The CFS hopes it can use IT to better support the work of its frontline staff, reinforce its capability in food import control and facilitate the trade. For this reason, the Corporate and System Management Division is developing the Food Trader Portal (FTP) in phases, starting with the launch of the trader registration module in December 2019, which allows food traders to open FTP user accounts to receive food safety and import control notifications electronically and perform tasks online such as trader registration, renewal of registration and updating of trader information.
The functions of the FTP were enhanced in March 2020 with the introduction of online applications for import licence for meat and poultry as well as import permission for game, meat (including prohibited meat) and poultry. By the end of December 2020, over 90% of the applications for import licences and import permissions had been submitted and granted through the FTP, despite the fact that using the portal is voluntary.
In September 2020, new online services were launched which further expand the functions of the FTP, enabling importers of milk and frozen confections to submit electronic applications for import permission and report the arrival of their consignments online.
Food 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. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020, VPHS used questionnaires as an alternative to survey the latest situations of 53 Mainland registered and associated farms. These included farms of poultry, pigs, cattle, and aquatic food animals.
Number of local and imported food animals inspected in 2020
| Type of animal | No. of animals inspected (inspected in slaughterhouse) | No. of animal health certificates verified |
|---|---|---|
| Pigs |
757,377 |
17,108 health certificates and 10,962 admission forms for local pigs |
| Cattle |
14,626 |
1,460 health certificates |
| Goats |
1,429 |
13 health certificates |
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 2020, 32,208 samples were collected from food animals for testing of veterinary drug residues. During the same period, no pig urine sample was tested positive for prohibited chemicals. Four tissue samples were tested positive for restricted chemicals.
The Quarantine Detector Dog Unit assists in interdicting illegal import of raw meat and eggs at all land boundary control points. These are hand-carried by inbound passengers and brought in by trucks. The unit serves to safeguard public health by preventing the import of meat and eggs from unknown sources into Hong Kong, as they may contain contagious and zoonotic pathogens such as E. coli O157 and avian influenza. There are seven quarantine detector dogs in the unit.
For the export of food products of animal origin, 1,310 veterinary health certificates were issued in 2020 for products such as chicken powder, ice cream, mooncakes, Chinese dim sum, milk beverages, instant noodle, meat and poultry products. They were exported to the Mainland, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Macao, New Zealand, the Netherlands, UK and USA.
Risk Assessment
In a risk-based food safety control model, risk assessment forms the scientific basis of 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.
The CFS' risk assessment work mainly consists of researches, projects and literature studies. 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 health hazards.
Risk Assessment Projects
During 2020, the CFS released the results of several risk assessment projects, namely: "Glycidyl Esters in Edible Fats and Oils and Infant Formula", "Sodium Content in Local Siu-mei and Lo-mei" and "Trans Fats and Sugar Contents of Cakes in Local Market". The latter two studies were conducted jointly with the Consumer Council.
Food Consumption Survey
Due to changes of dietary habits over time, it is necessary to update food consumption survey data from time to time. The CFS has conducted the second Hong Kong population-based food consumption survey. Data collection of the survey commenced in April 2018 and ended in February 2020 and the report is expected to be released in 2021. Results of the survey can enhance our risk assessment capability and facilitate the conduct of Total Diet Study in due course.
Nutrition Labelling
In order to help the trade and laboratory service providers understand and comply with the Nutrition Labelling Scheme (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. The "Nutrition Labelling Workshop for Traders Selling Festive Foods - 2020" was held in January to remind traders selling festive foods to comply with the relevant legislation.
In order to better protect the health of infants and young children under the age of 36 months, and to facilitate effective regulation of nutrition and health claims for formula products and prepackaged food for infants and young children, the Government is reviewing the regulatory approach for these claims, taking into account views expressed by the trade, the latest international guidelines, the regulatory approach of other jurisdictions, as well as Hong Kong's obligations in agreements under the World Trade Organization.
Nutrient Information Inquiry System
The Nutrient Information Inquiry System (NIIS) is a web-based database containing nutrient information (including energy and some 20 nutrients) on over 7,600 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, to help people make healthy food choices.
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 World Health Organization (WHO), the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations/ WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), and the Joint FAO/ WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR).
The Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) (Amendment) Regulation 2018 (the Amendment Regulation), which stipulates the updated standards for metallic contamination in food, takes full effect from 1 November 2020 on all kinds of foods. The amendments enhance regulatory control and update the standards, with a view to better protecting public health, facilitating effective regulation and aligning Hong Kong's standard with the international ones.
The Government held a three-month public consultation, from 11 December 2020 to 15 March 2021, on the Proposed Amendments to the Harmful Substances in Food Regulations. The amendments seek to strengthen the regulatory regime of harmful substances in food, including industrially-produced trans fats and mycotoxins. In formulating the amendment proposals, the CFS has conducted risk assessments having regard to local dietary practices, and reviewed relevant international standards and practices. The amendment proposals will be introduced to the Legislative Council after collating the views received.
Risk Communication
Effective communication with stakeholders, as well as tripartite collaboration among the food trade, the public and the Government, are vital in upholding food safety in Hong Kong. There is also a dedicated Communication Resource Unit (CRU) under the CFS to provide information on food safety risks to the public and the food trade. Located at the FEHD Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot at Yen Chow Street West, the CRU maintains a collection of food safety related promotion resource materials. It has designated exhibition and information corners equipped with audio-visual facilities. The CRU also entertains requests for organised visits and food safety talks, and provides loan service of resource materials, exhibition boards and audio-visual resources for schools, community centres and other interested public. Apart from supporting initiatives and events on food safety risk communication, the CRU conducts regular education programmes throughout the year. During the year, the CRU conducted 76 seminars, workshops and various types of publicity activities such as roving exhibitions on food safety for the public and selected target groups, including food handlers, school children, the elderly and ethnic minorities.
To halt the spread of COVID-19, in 2020 the Risk Communication Section has stepped up its utilisation of video conferencing and online devices, in addition to its routine channels, to facilitate risk communication and enable the food trade and the public to actively contribute to food safety.
COVID-19 can also increase the risks in food consumption. The CFS has therefore published Food Safety Advice on Prevention of COVID-19 and FAQs and articles to provide guidance to consumers on food hygiene, food packaging and social distancing when shopping. The CFS has also published advisories for food businesses, namely (1) Food Safety and Hygiene Advisory for Food Premises on the Prevention of COVID-19; (2) Precautions for Food Delivery Agents on the Prevention of COVID-19; (3) Health Advice for Frozen Food Handlers on the Prevention of COVID-19; and (4) Prevention of COVID-19 – Guidance on Disinfecting the Working Environment and the Food Package of Cold Stores at Import Level.
To echo the World Food Safety Day, the CFS kick-started its year-round Food Safety Day campaign in early June 2020 with "Eat Safe! Know Your High-risk Foods" as the theme. The event and subsequent serial public health talks and publicity highlighted specific practices to improve food safety. The target audience is the susceptible population, including young children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immunity.
In connection with the Proposed Amendments to the Harmful Substances in Food Regulations, the CFS has published trade guidance on the replacement of partially hydrogenated oils and minimising aflatoxin contamination in peanuts. Other publicity channels include social media platforms, publication, press briefing and trade and public forums. A series of meetings to discuss with the trade and other interested stakeholders on technical issues related to the proposed amendments were also arranged.
In order to help the public reduce dietary intake of salt and sugar, the CFS has been conducting a programme called "Hong Kong's Action on Salt and Sugar Reduction". Through various communication tools and publicity activities, the programme emphasises the importance of salt and sugar reduction and encourages the public to develop and practise healthy dietary habits. The CFS collaborated with the food trade to set the voluntary sodium reduction targets for prepackaged white bread and wholemeal bread to facilitate them to reduce the sodium content in food through product reformulation. After one year, all the bread products from participating bakeries had stayed within the limit set for sodium. The overall average sodium contents of these products were also reduced. The sodium reduction targets were further extended to non-prepackaged white bread and wholemeal bread in December 2020. The CFS helped the participating bakeries in product reformulation by providing sodium content testing service and establishing standard operating procedures. The CFS, in collaboration with the Food and Health Bureau (FHB), has also piloted the "Less Sugar Friday" campaign to promote a low-sugar dietary culture. Over the course of eight months, customers could select low-sugar or sugar-free beverages from participating tea shops every Friday with a $2 discount.
In parallel, 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 monthly electronic publication "Food Safety Focus", also posted on the CFS website, covers various current local and overseas food safety issues and actions undertaken by the CFS. It also provides professional and yet 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. Information on food safety and health is also disseminated through the social media such as Facebook and YouTube.
Summary of Risk Communication Activities in 2020
| Item | 2020 figures |
|---|---|
| No. of educational/publicity programmes organised | 1 |
| No. of resource materials produced | 25 |
| Total attendance at public education/communication activities | 24,110 |
| No. of public enquiries handled | 2,858 |
| No. of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) seminars/workshops | 13 |
| No. of followers/subscribers on CFS' social media platforms | 19,971 |
| No. of e-news issued | 24 |
| Seasonal Food Surveillance |
|---|
| Lunar New Year food |
| Rice Dumplings |
| Mooncakes |
| Hairy Crabs |
| Lap-Mei |
| Poon Choi |
| Hotpot |
| Targeted Food Surveillance |
|---|
| Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Ready-to-eat Food |
| Salmonella in Ready-to-eat Food |
| Coagulase-positive staphylococci organisms in Ready-to-eat Food |
| Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-eat Food |
| Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens in Ready-to-eat Food |
HACCP-based Food Safety Plan
During the year, the CFS continued to encourage food suppliers to adopt food safety plans (FSPs). 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, meat to be eaten raw and frozen confections. Workshops and seminars are organised for managerial and operational staff of the target groups.
The CFS developed the Trade Guidelines on Safe Preparation of Eggs and Egg Products (the Eggs Guidelines), based on the principles of HACCP system, to help reduce foodborne illnesses caused by Salmonella. In preparing the Eggs Guidelines, the HACCP team of the CFS has conducted field visits to food premises and deployed a step-by-step practice to check that all information regarding materials, practices and controls is appropriate.
World Health Organization Collaborating Centre
In 2020, the CFS continues to be a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre (WHOCC) for Risk Analysis of Chemicals in Food since its designation in October 2010. As a WHOCC, the CFS continues to contribute to the public health especially in food safety at the regional level, and support WHO activities under the designated activity areas.
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 WHO. The Department works closely with the pest control trade with useful exchange of views to uphold the professional standards of pest control practices.
Management of vector-borne diseases
Hong Kong needs to guard against vector-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue fever, Zika virus infection, Japanese encephalitis (JE), chikungunya fever, plague, scrub typhus, urban typhus, spotted fever and hantaan disease. The FEHD works with the Department of Health, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and the Home Affairs Department to put in place appropriate vector control measures, and will initiate investigations immediately once a disease is reported.
Risk Assessment and Surveillance of Mosquitoes
Hong Kong is under the constant threat of dengue fever. Local dengue vector mosquito in the community and the port areas are monitored continually. Since April 2020, the Department has adopted a newly designed gravidtrap to replace ovitrap as a tool for surveillance of vector mosquitoes. The gravidtrap indices and density indices obtained from survey areas are released to the parties concerned and the public to increase community participation in controlling the vector and heighten awareness of the mosquito problem. Starting from June 2020, the number of areas covered by the dengue vector surveillance programme has been increased to 62. Mosquitoes collected from areas with Area Gravidtrap Index (AGI) for Aedes albopictus over 10% would be tested for the presence of dengue virus. In 2020, the average gravidtrap index and average density index recorded in the community were 6.6% and 1.3 respectively, indicating that 6.6% of all areas covered by the surveillance programme were found to have activities of Aedes albopictus and an average of 1.3 adult Aedes albopictus were collected in each positive gravidtrap. The highest Monthly Gravidtrap Index (MGI) for Aedes albopictus recorded in the community was 18.1% (in June) and the highest Port Monthly Gravidtrap Index (PMGI) was 3.5% (in June). The figures were similar to those of 2019. In addition, a long-standing control programme against malaria-transmitting mosquitoes, covering some 600 streams, returned favourable results in 2020, revealing no evidence of local transmission of malaria.
JE vector surveillance programme has been conducted since 2013 to monitor the distribution of Culex tritaeniorhynchus at selected areas in Yuen Long district. The programme was extended to cover seven different districts in October 2015 and further extended to eight districts in 2018. In 2020, a total of 1,408 Culex tritaeniorhynchus were collected. No JE virus was detected in these samples.
During the year, the Department conducted 820,324 inspections with 69,771 mosquito breeding places found and eliminated, 68 warning letters issued, and 158 summonses taken out. Legal action was taken against those who allowed mosquitoes to breed on their premises.
In view of a local case of dengue fever in 2020, the Department deployed additional anti-mosquito teams to sustain the efforts in mosquito control. The four Pest Control Inspection Teams stepped up inspection of construction sites and enforcement action against mosquito breeding places. As at 31 December 2020, the Department had instituted 158 prosecutions against mosquito breeding found in relevant premises under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap 132), comprising 154 cases involving construction sites and four cases involving other premises. Additional resources were also deployed to carry out intensive mosquito preventive and control exercises across the territory, including conducting the All-out Anti-mosquito Operation since 15 April 2020, with a view to suppressing the adult mosquito population and eradicating any possibly infected mosquitoes. Two phased gravidtrap index and density index of each surveyed area are released every month on FEHD website starting from April 2020 to keep the public abreast of the latest situation of mosquito infestation and facilitate them as well as relevant government departments and property management companies to take timely anti-mosquito measures. The Department also stepped up publicity to remind the public of the importance of mosquito control work in all seasons.
Anti-mosquito campaign
An inter-departmental Anti-mosquito Campaign was launched in three phases in 2020 to strengthen anti-mosquito measures. Related educational and publicity work continued.
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 (RIR) (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 RIR obtained in 2020 was 3.6% which indicated that rodent infestation was generally under control.
Inspections and disinfestations are also carried out regularly to contain rodent problems. During the year, the Department handled 10,331 reports of rodent problem with 22 written warnings issued, and collected 60,860 dead rodents (28,872 trapped and 31,988 poisoned). More than 12,347 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 2020 were 1.05 and 0.37 respectively. In view of the relatively high index of the waterfront areas, the Department notified relevant government departments and stakeholders of the results immediately, and provided technical assistance in prevention and control of rodents and fleas for prompt remedial control measures. Studies were also carried out in typhoon shelters and villages to monitor the rat-flea situation and the overall rat-flea index was found to be 0.11. (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. In addition, the Department conducted two rounds of anti-rodent operations in designated target areas in various districts in May and November 2020 respectively, each lasting for eight weeks. Multi-pronged strategies, including stepping up rodent disinfestation work, cleaning services and enforcement action in designated target areas, were adopted to combat the rodent problem. The special operations concluded with fruitful results.
As improper handling of food remnants and food handling activities at rear lanes by food premises are major contributing factors to the rodent infestation problem, the Department conducted a special operation against irregularities of food premises from May 2019 to February 2020 to step up enforcement action and enhance the effectiveness of the anti-rodent operation in designated target areas.
Given the public attention towards rodent infestation in public housing estates, the Department conducted joint inspections with the staff of Housing Department (HD), offered professional advice and technical guidance on rodent prevention and control and supported HD in carrying out anti-rodent work in target public housing estates with rodent infestation problems.
Application of New Technologies in enhancing pest control
The Department has actively explored ways to enhance surveillance and control of mosquitoes and rodents. For dengue vector surveillance, a newly designed gravidtrap has been used to replace the ovitrap for the dengue vector surveillance since April 2020 with a view to obtaining quantitative data on density of Aedes albopictus.
Regarding rodent prevention and control, the Department conducted trials on the use of thermal imaging cameras to capture video images with the use of artificial intelligence to monitor the extent of rodent activities. Initial trial results showed that the technology was able to monitor rodent activities effectively. The Department had implemented the thermal imaging cameras before and after the Anti-rodent Operations in designated target areas for quantitative evaluation of the effectiveness of the rodent control operations.
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 2020, 700 mosquito surveys were conducted, with Port Monthly Ovitrap Index1/PMGI consistently below 1.0%. The rat-flea index recorded from rat-flea studies was zero.
[1] As Ovitrap was used until April 2020, the index adopted during the period from January to March 2020 for port areas was Port Monthly Ovitrap Index.
Cross-boundary Co-operation
As infectious diseases know no physical boundaries, close ties have been established among Guangdong, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Macao and Hong Kong in the fight against such diseases and the disease vectors. Although regular communications through meetings and exchange programme involving professionals from Guangdong, Macao and Hong Kong have been suspended due to COVID-19 outbreak since early 2020, sharing of surveillance results at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is still in place for better understanding of vector distribution in areas under the purview of the three parties.
Other Pest Control Programmes
Other than mosquitoes and rats, the Department controls, by disinfestations, other pests such as flies, fleas, mites, biting midges, cockroaches, ants, wasps and ticks. In 2020, 50,612 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.