A 64-year-old Wong Tai Sin man is in critical condition at Queen Elizabeth Hospital with necrotising fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating disease.

The Centre for Health Protection said his right forearm showed redness on October 27, which worsened the next day. He tested positive for Vibrio vulnificus, a type of bacteria causing flesh-eating disease.

The disease can destroy tissue and cause death in 12 to 24 hours. People should avoid exposure of open wounds or broken skin to seawater, and thoroughly cleanse and properly cover wounds. Click here for more health tips.