The Centre for Food Safety has suspended the import of poultry, poultry products and eggs from Catalonia, Spain.

It received notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health today about an outbreak of low-pathogenic H7N1 avian influenza on a poultry farm in the province.

The centre has contacted Spanish authorities and will monitor developments.

About 4,600 tonnes of frozen poultry meat was imported to Hong Kong from Spain last year.

Secretary for Food & Health Dr Ko Wing-man attended the World Health Organisation's 66th World Health Assembly in Geneva today, as a member of the China delegation.

Dr Ko met with Minister of the National Health & Family Planning Commission Li Bin and Macau's Secretary for Social Affairs & Culture Cheong U to discuss the latest avian influenza A(H7N9) situation on the Mainland, including prevention and control measures.

Director of Health Dr Constance Chan and the Centre for Health Protection Controller Dr Leung Ting-hung also attended.

Dr Ko will leave for Hong Kong tonight.

The Centre for Health Protection is investigating a case of necrotising fasciitis, or flesh-eating disease, involving a 43-year-old man.

He was pricked by a fish while working in a restaurant on May 8 and fell ill the following day. He was admitted to hospital on May 10.

He tested positive for Vibrio vulnificus, a type of bacteria that causes necrotising fasciitis. He is in stable condition.

Necrotising fasciitis is a serious bacterial infection of the soft tissue and fascia. It can destroy tissue and cause death within 12 to 24 hours after infection.

The Department of Health is monitoring one more coronavirus case reported to the World Health Organisation by Saudi Arabia.

It involves an 81-year-old woman who fell ill on April 28. She was identified as part of the ongoing investigation into an outbreak that began in a healthcare facility since the beginning of April.

She was in the same healthcare facility previously identified as the focus of this outbreak, from April 8 to 28.

This brings the latest global number of confirmed cases to 41, including 20 deaths. No human infection with this virus has so far been identified in Hong Kong.

The centre will seek further information from the World Health Organisation, and continue its local surveillance for suspected cases.

Travellers returning from coronavirus-affected areas with respiratory symptoms are advised to wear face masks, seek medical attention and reveal their travel history to doctors.

Visit the centre's designated website for more information on the disease. 

A host of activities for the 'Hong Kong: Our Home' Campaign will be staged this week, including art exhibitions, the HSBC Share-To-Care Volunteer Campaign, and the Cohesion of Youth Carnival.

From May 22, two free exhibitions will run concurrently at the new Visual Arts Exhibition & Activity Centre on Oil Street, North Point.

The 'Embark! Beyond the Horizon' exhibition, running until August 18, will showcase fascinating art installations from four artists - Cedric Maridet, Tang Kwok-hin and Tsang Kin-wah from Hong Kong, and Yuan Gong from the Mainland.

The 'Living Art Projects at Oi!' exhibition runs until September 30 and is aimed at integrating "green art" into our daily lives.

An exhibition titled 'Hong Kong Arts Centre 1st Annual Collectors' Contemporary Collaboration - May Dialogues' is now open to the public until May 30. These artworks are drawn from various local collections and are based on three main themes - "The Painterly Stroke", "My Home, My Art" and "Homage".

About 1,500 volunteers from all walks of life, including members of civil service volunteer teams, will congregate at the HKSYC & IA Wong Tai Shan Memorial College for the HSBC Share-To-Care Volunteer Campaign Pledge Ceremony cum Service Day on May 26. The theme of this year's campaign is "Unleash the Volunteer Power in You". During the ceremony, volunteers will pledge to serve the community by visiting people in need.

The volunteers will visit residents living in the Sham Shui Po neighbourhood and deliver "caring packs" to families living in cubicle apartments. The volunteers will visit other neighbourhoods in the coming months. More than 400 social services organisations and nearly 20,000 volunteers have signed up to support the campaign.

Ethnic minority groups will come together for the Cohesion of Youth Carnival, which will be held at Shui Pin Tsuen Playground in Yuen Long on May 26. People from the Philippines, Malaysia, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and other Asian countries will perform traditional songs and dances in colourful costumes.

Other activities include the the Dancing Queen Carnival at Shek Lei Community Hall and the Seven Healthy Style Day in Shau Kei Wan on May 25; the Green Tour in CUHK at the Chinese University of Hong Kong; Praise the Parents' Care Party & Awards 2013 at Mui Wo Sports Centre; and, the Love Family Photography Exhibition & Awards at Sheung Shui Garden No.1 on May 26.

Full details are on the campaign’s website.

Secretary for Food & Health Dr Ko Wing-man inspected a Chinese medicine clinic in Kotzting, Germany, yesterday.

He met the clinic's Chief Executive Officer Anton Staudinger, who said the facility is the first of its kind in Germany, rendering therapeutical services in the form of hospital treatments.

The clinic, with 80 hospital beds, was set up in 1991 through co-operation between the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and a German entrepreneur.

Dr Ko was briefed on the development of Chinese medicine, including herbal and proprietary medicine, in Germany and the government policies on promoting Chinese medicine.

Dr Ko told Mr Staudinger that the Chinese Medicine Development Committee, chaired by himself, was set up in January this year to give recommendations to the Government concerning the direction and long-term strategy of the future development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong.

Before touring the clinic, Dr Ko was invited by the mayor of Kotzting to sign the Golden Guest Book.

Dr Ko will attend the World Health Organisation's 66th World Health Assembly in Geneva tomorrow.

Reducing food waste is a priority of the Government, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam says, urging the public to support the initiative.

Speaking at the launch of the Food Wise Hong Kong Campaign today, Mrs Lam said Hong Kong’s environment will be better if there is less food waste.

She said 40% of daily waste dumped in landfills is food - about 3,500 tonnes.

Mrs Lam discussed ways to reduce food waste in our daily lives, such as by finishing the food on our plates, making use of food trimmings to cook another dish, and by only buying what we need when shopping.

She advised the restaurant sector to reduce food waste in the aspects of planning, purchasing, storing and cooking, adding its cuts costs.

At the same function, Secretary for the Environment KS Wong said reducing food at source and donating surplus food to the needy are effective ways to fulfill the goal.

Mrs Lam and Mr Wong tried a dish made of food trimmings, such as the skin of a water melon.

The Food Wise Hong Kong Campaign is one of the signature events under the 'Fresh Hong Kong' theme of the 'Hong Kong: Our Home' Campaign.

A host of publicity activities and educational programmes will be implemented, and tool kits and practice guides are also being drawn up with trades to encourage the entire community to avoid and reduce food waste generation.

Secretary for Food & Health Dr Ko Wing-man continued his London visit yesterday by meeting UK Care Quality Commission Chief Executive David Behan.

Dr Ko said the Hong Kong Government has set up the Steering Committee on the Review of the Regulation of Private Healthcare Facilities, which covers private hospitals, nursing homes and non-profit-making clinics.

The review will enhance the quality and transparency of private healthcare services and better protect patients' rights and safety.

The commission administers a registration scheme under which providers of services, like hospital, residential care, personal care, and nursing services, are required to meet quality and safety standards to qualify for registration.

Dr Ko also met with National Health Service Medical Director and the Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions Committee Chairman Prof Bruce Keogh.

The committee will review guidelines for ensuring the physical and psychological health of people having cosmetic surgery.

Dr Ko said Hong Kong’s working group on Differentiation Between Medical Procedures & Beauty Services was also set up to differentiate between medical treatments and ordinary beauty services available on the market, and to make recommendations to the Government on procedures that should be performed by registered medical practitioners.

Dr Ko also held talks with the UK Department of Health on the regulatory challenges brought about by the advancement of medical technology.

He will go to Munich today to visit a Chinese medicine clinic in Kotzting.

Kwok Ka-ming and Wong Ka-yan won the mens' and womens' events in the annual Bun Scrambling Competition last night on Cheung Chau.

Kwok scored 1,045 marks and grabbed 141 buns to win the 'Full Pockets of Lucky Buns' prize, while Wong received 720 points.

The event attracted more than 1,600 spectators.

Apart from the individual race, there was also an invitation relay in which three teams from Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Macau competed against five local teams from Cheung Chau.

The 2013 Bun Carnival is one of the events under the 'Hong Kong: Our Home' Campaign.

The annual Cheung Chau Bun Festival was held today, featuring a colourful display of festive activities, including the 2013 Cheung Chau Bun Festival Grand Parade.

Organised by the Cheung Chau Bun Festival Committee and assisted by a number of Government departments, the parade is one of the events under the 'Hong Kong: Our Home' Campaign.

Featuring children dressed up in costumes resembling famous people, the parade set off from Pak Tai Temple Playground and wound its way through the island's alleyways.

Crowds queued for the festival's trademark freshly steamed buns.

The festival's highlight, the Bun Scrambling Competition, will be held at midnight tonight, when men and women will climb a 14-metre tower to collect as many buns as possible in three minutes.

Secretary for Food & Health Dr Ko Wing-man says Hong Kong will learn from the UK's experience in regulating complementary therapies and enhancing the standard of medical services.

He made the remark during the first day of his visit to London yesterday.

He met officials from the Professional Standards Authority for Health & Social Care, including its Chief Executive Harry Cayton and Director of Standard & Policy Christine Braithwaite.

The authority sets standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for health and social care occupations and accredits those that meet them.

Dr Ko also met Chairman of the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council John Lant, Chief Executive of the National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence (NICE) Sir Andrew Dillon, and the Director of Centre for Public Health Excellence of NICE Professor Mike Kelly.

They discussed the regulation of healthcare facilities, manpower planning and professional development, development of clinical guidelines, as well as other health and medical issues.

Dr Ko will visit the Care Quality Commission and the National Health Service today before departing for Germany.

The import of live poultry and poultry products from Zengcheng, Guangzhou, has been suspended.

The Centre for Food Safety was notified of the suspension by the Guangdong Entry-exit Inspection & Quarantine Bureau today, which includes chilled and frozen poultry, and poultry eggs.

It was due to a suspected case of H7 sub-type avian influenza in a poultry sample taken from a market stall in Zengcheng.

As a control measure, the export of poultry from within a 13km radius of the stall has been suspended. Surveillance results for H7 avian influenza have been negative so far, and no live birds on the one farm within the radius have come down with symptoms.

The centre said it will closely monitor the case.

The Centre for Health Protection is investigating a severe case of influenza B with encephalitis affecting an eight-year-old boy.

The boy went to a doctor with flu symptoms on May 11. His condition worsened and he was admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital on May 13.

The clinical diagnosis was encephalitis, and he tested positive for seasonal influenza B. He is stable.

He has no recent travel history and his home contacts have no similar symptoms.

The centre urged the public to prevent respiratory infections by maintaining good personal hygiene including washing hands frequently, and wearing a mask when they develop respiratory symptoms.

For details on seasonal influenza vaccination, click here.

The Department of Health is monitoring the infection of two Saudi healthcare workers with novel coronavirus.

The World Health Organisation said the first patient is a 45-year-old man in critical condition, and the second is a 43-year-old woman with an underlying illness who is in stable condition.

To date, 21 cases have been reported since May as part of an outbreak linked to the same healthcare facility in Saudi Arabia.

These new cases bring the latest global number of confirmed cases to 40.

The department has reminded healthcare providers to be vigilant when dealing with patients returning from affected areas who develop severe acute respiratory infections.

No human infection with this virus has been identified so far in Hong Kong.

The Centre for Health Protection is investigating a case of Enterovirus-71 infection with meningitis complications, involving a two-year-old boy.

The toddler, who lives on the Mainland, fell ill on May 9, and his condition worsened on May 13.

He was admitted to a hospital in the Mainland on May 14 and was brought to Hong Kong on the same day and admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital.

His clinical diagnosis was meningitis, and he tested positive for Enterovirus-71. He is in stable condition.

His home contacts are asymptomatic.

The centre urges the public to be vigilant against the disease as the infection is transmitted by direct contact with nose and throat discharges.

Children suffering from the infection should stay at home and avoid contacting other children until they have recovered.

Click here for more information.

The Department of Health is closely monitoring four additional novel coronavirus cases reported to the World Health Organisation by Saudi Arabia.

The three men and one woman, aged 48 to 81, all have multiple underlying illnesses.

So far, a total of 19 cases have been reported in relation to an outbreak in May at a healthcare facility in the eastern part of Saudi Arabia.

The new cases bring the latest global number of confirmed cases of the disease to 38. The department said it will remain vigilant and work closely with international health authorities to monitor the latest developments.

No human infection with this virus has been identified so far in Hong Kong.

Click here for more information on the disease.

About 1,650 spectators will come to Cheung Chau to watch the Bun Scrambling Competition on the Pak Tai Temple Playground soccer pitch on the night of May 17.

First Ferry will arrange an additional sailing from Cheung Chau to Central at 1.15am on May 18, and buses will also provide special services.

The 14-metre-tall bun tower will be covered with 9,000 plastic buns.

Nine men and three women have been selected to enter the final competition, after qualifying from a group of 76 climbers. These finalists will have three minutes to grab as many buns as they can.

They are Cheung Man-cheung, Leung Chun-kit, Wong Tsz-kiu, Kwok Ka-ming, Yip Kin-man, Chan Yu-hong, Wong Chi-kit, Chung Yuk-chuen and Lui Ming-hong for the men's event; and, Wong Ka-yan, Lisa Cheng and Gigi Ho for the women's event.

The competition is one of the Vibrant Hong Kong themed events under the 'Hong Kong: Our Home' Campaign.

Housing Authority Subsidised Housing Committee Chairman Stanley Wong drew ballots for the sale of surplus Home Ownership Scheme flats today.

The ballot results will determine the order of flat selection for 14,200 applicants.

The authority is offering 832 flats for sale in this seventh phase of the programme, most of them in Tin Chung Court, Tin Shui Wai. The saleable area of the flats range from 40.1 to 60.4 square metres.

Prices are set at a discount of 30% off the market value. More than 80% of the flats are priced at $2 million or below.

The Housing Department will vet the applications according to the ballot results, and will send out notifications in batches to invite eligible applicants for flat selection from late June.

Click here for the ballot results.

Secretary for Food & Health Dr Ko Wing-man will attend the World Health Organisation's 66th World Health Assembly in Geneva on May 20.

He will attend as a member of the China delegation.

Before the assembly, Dr Ko will have meetings with senior officials and medical and healthcare regulatory institutions in London, and will visit a Chinese medicine clinic in Germany.

In London on May 16 and 17, he will learn about the regulation of healthcare facilities, manpower planning and professional development in the UK.

He will call on the Professional Standards Authority for Health & Social Care, the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council, and the National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence.

He will also visit the Care Quality Commission and meet with the Medical Director of the National Health Service cum Chairman of the National Health Service Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions Committee.

In Germany on May 18, Dr Ko will visit a Chinese medicine clinic in Kotzting. The clinic is the first of its kind in the country, rendering therapeutical hospital treatments.

The Government hotline 3142 2288, set up to help local parents purchase powdered formula, will cease to operate from May 17.

The service was established to address supply problems in the local market earlier this year.

Since the regulation on exporting powdered formula came into operation on March 1, the number of calls received by the hotline has steadily decreased.

The hotline now handles fewer than five calls and refers fewer than two purchase orders each day on average.

The service will stop to allow for better utilisation of public resources.