Hong Kong food poisoning cases linked to raw oysters spike to 27 in 1 week

Hong Kong’s health authorities are investigating two food poisoning clusters linked to five people falling ill after eating raw oysters, with the city recording 27 cases in the first week of February alone. Officials also warned residents on Sunday against eating raw oysters and reminded them to maintain personal hygiene, as norovirus was more active in the winter months from December to March. The Centre for Health Protection reported on Sunday that the latest two epidemiologically linked food poisoning clusters involved Chef’s Cuts at The Southside shopping centre in Wong Chuk Hang, affecting two males and three females aged between 30 and 38. They developed diarrhoea, abdominal pain, vomiting and fever about 14 to 49 hours after consuming raw oysters on January 30, according to the centre. Three of them sought medical advice but did not require hospitalisation. All of the affected individuals are currently in a stable condition. Chef’s Cuts told the South China Morning Post that it had suspended supplying raw oysters because it suspected consuming them might be the cause of the recent food safety cases. “We have immediately suspended the supply of these items at our establishments. Meanwhile, we are conducting a thorough investigation of our supply chain and are working closely with [the centre] to assist in their investigation as part of our commitment to safety measures,” the spokeswoman said. She stressed that the operator was taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety and quality of its food. A staff member from the Chef’s Cuts at The Southside told SCMP that the restaurant had suspended serving raw oysters to patrons. “We will suspend serving it for a period of time and wait for our company’s notice,” the worker said. The restaurant’s branch at Gold Coast Piazza in Tuen Mun said raw oysters were only served at the two shops in The Southside and Kai Tak’s Airside shopping centre. The centre instructed the two raw oyster suppliers, Jeton International Food and 88 Investment Holdings Limited, to stop supplying raw oysters immediately, and asked the industry to stop selling the seafood supplied by the two companies. “Food poisoning cases have continuously increased over the past few weeks, rising from one case a week on average in late December last year to four cases a week on average in January,” said Dr Edwin Tsui Lok-kin, the centre’s controller. “Epidemiological investigation showed that all the affected persons of the food poisoning cases related to norovirus had consumed raw oysters during the incubation period.” A total of 27 cases have been recorded in the first week of February. Over the past three weeks, between January 18 and February 7, the centre has recorded 34 food poisoning cases, affecting 108 people. Among them, 30 cases affecting 94 people were related to norovirus, which typically causes acute gastroenteritis. Five of the patients were hospitalised for treatment, and all are in stable condition, Tsui added. According to the centre’s surveillance data, the acute gastroenteritis activity level has continued to increase since early January, including acute gastroenteritis outbreaks in institutions and schools, with 60 per cent of the outbreaks caused by norovirus. “As the Lunar New Year holiday is approaching, members of the public have more opportunities to have parties with food delivery services or hotpot,” Tsui said. “To prevent food poisoning, apart from maintaining personal hygiene, they should also consume thoroughly washed and cooked food.” He reminded residents, especially pregnant women, young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, to avoid eating raw oysters in view of the “drastic increase” in food poisoning cases related to eating raw oysters. “As oysters feed by filtering a large volume of seawater, pathogens can accumulate in them if they are grown in or harvested from contaminated water,” he said, adding that raw and partially cooked oysters are considered a high-risk food. Additional reporting by Edith Lin