A 25-year-old man has been confirmed to have cholera, the sixth case in Hong Kong this year. He is in stable condition at Princess Margaret Hospital.

The patient suffered from diarrhoea on August 21 and sought medical treatment at a Government clinic on August 26. He has since tested positive for cholera.

None of his family members have shown symptoms. The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department have disinfected his home in North Point.

The patient had not travelled outside Hong Kong during the incubation period and the case has been classified as a local one. Health officers are investigating the source of infection.

The Department of Health says the best way to prevent cholera and other food-borne diseases is to observe good personal, food and environmental hygiene at all times.

People should:

* Clean and cook seafood thoroughly before consumption, particularly seafood like shrimp, crab, oysters and clams;

* Wash your hands before eating and after going to the toilet;

* Handle raw and cooked food with separate utensils to prevent cross contamination;

* Keep raw and cooked food separately;

* Store food in the refrigerator (at 4 degrees Celsius or below) and adequately reheat leftover food before consumption; and,

* Keep the environment clean.