The Centre for Health Protection has confirmed an outbreak of bacteria food poisoning involving four men and seven women who ate food from a food premises in Sai Wan Ho.

Collection of stool samples from the patients has been arranged and investigations are in progress.

The affected people, aged 31 to 49, developed diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, nausea and vomiting about three to 21 hours after having meals at the food premises on April 10 and 15.

They ate roast fish, chicken and jelly fish. Two of them sought medical treatment from private doctors and five others approached the accident and emergency departments of public hospitals for consultations. One of them was admitted and subsequently discharged.

The centre's investigations indicate this was a bacteria food poisoning outbreak.

To prevent food-borne diseases, people should:

* clean and cook food thoroughly, particularly crustaceans and bivalve seafood such as shrimp, crab, oysters and clams;

* wash 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 a refrigerator at four degrees Celsius or below and adequately reheat leftover food; and

* keep the environment clean.