Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ9: Control of bedbug
Following is a question by the Dr Hon Joseph Lee and a written reply by
the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, in the Legislative
Council today (December 5):
Question:
It has been reported recently by the media that the problem of bed bugs in
Hong Kong has become increasingly serious, and bed bugs are found in
public places, guesthouses and residential flats. The problem is
particularly serious in districts where second class guesthouses and old
public rental housing (PRH) estates are concentrated. In this connection,
will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether legislation is currently in place to require operators of
guesthouses to ensure good hygiene standard in guesthouses so that their
guests will not be bitten by bed bugs; if so, of the details; if not,
whether relevant legislation will be formulated;
(b) whether the Government, facing the increasingly serious problem of bed
bugs, will eradicate bed bugs in public places and PRH estates which are
infested with bed bugs, so as to eliminate such a nuisance to the public;
if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(c) whether it will establish a mechanism for monitoring the spread and
distribution of bed bug infestation in the whole territory, assessing the
risk of disease transmission by bed bugs and implementing measures to
prevent and control bed bug infestation; if it will, of the details; if
not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
Bedbugs are generally not considered as disease vectors. For effective
control of bedbug infestation, members of the public are advised to take
the following measures: maintaining a clean domestic environment; cleaning
premises regularly; washing bedding and clothing thoroughly; making sure
that second-hand wooden furniture is free from bedbugs before using it;
replacing worn-out wallpapers and sealing cracks/crevices on walls and the
floor promptly, etc.
My reply to the three parts of the question is as follows:
(a) Under the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance (Cap. 349),
premises intended for use as a hotel or guesthouse shall comply with the
requirements on sanitary fitments etc. under the Buildings Ordinance (Cap.
123). In June 2008, the Centre for Health Protection, the Department of
Health issued a set of guidelines on "Infection Control and Prevention in
the Hotel Industry", providing practical information for those who work in
hotels on infection control and measures to prevent the spreading of
communicable diseases. All hotel employees have the responsibility to
acquaint themselves with the guidelines and follow the recommendations
laid down therein in their day-to-day work to reduce the risk of spreading
communicable diseases.
(b) A good number of private companies that provide pest control services
are available in the market. Members of the public who have a bedbug
problem at home may seek assistance from these companies direct. In
general, upon receipt of complaints/enquiries, the Food and Environmental
Hygiene Department (FEHD) will send its staff to conduct on-site
inspections and provide the relevant parties with technical advice on
bedbug control measures and health education. Information on bedbug
control has been uploaded onto FEHD's website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/safefood/risk-pest-arthropod.html)
and published in the form of a leaflet to help the public better
understand the bedbug problem. Where necessary, FEHD will conduct pest
control work in public places.
(c) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the
United States, there is at present no known evidence which shows that
bedbugs spread diseases. Such being the case, FEHD has not at present
established any monitoring mechanism for bedbug infestation. The pest
control work currently being carried out by FEHD on a sustained basis is
targeted at the control of rodents, mosquitoes and other arthropod pests
which pose a threat to human health, in order to ensure the elimination of
disease vectors.
For mosquito control, FEHD has put in place an enhanced dengue vector
surveillance programme since 2003. The information thus collected is used
to make timely adjustments to our mosquito control strategies and
measures. Moreover, FEHD organises annual anti-mosquito campaigns on a
territory-wide basis to heighten public awareness of the potential risk
posed by mosquito-borne diseases, and to encourage community participation
and promote concerted efforts on the part of government departments in
anti-mosquito work.
For rodent prevention and control, FEHD takes a number of measures in
districts with relatively high rodent infestation rates. The measures
include eliminating and trapping rats in rear lanes, filling rat holes,
stepping up street cleansing and encouraging active participation of the
public in anti-rodent work, as well as strengthening publicity and
education programmes in rodent prevention and control.
The Government is conscious of the need to keep its methodology in pest
control under review, in the interest of ensuring the effectiveness and
efficacy of our measures in combating disease vectors.
Ends/Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Issued at HKT 14:16
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