Hong Kong Department of Health Releases New Safety Standards for 14 Chinese Medicinal Herbs – 巴士的報

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DH publishes Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards Volume 11
The Department of Health (DH) today (December 30) published the safety and quality standards for 14 commonly used Chinese Materia Medica (CMM) in Volume 11 of the Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards (HKCMMS) for public reference.
"In 2002, the DH launched the HKCMMS project to gradually establish reference standards for CMM commonly used in Hong Kong to ensure the safety and quality of CMM. The compilation of these standards facilitates research in Chinese medicines, promotes the modernisation and internationalisation of the Chinese medicine industry in the city, and further enhances international trade in Chinese medicine. After more than 20 years of development, the HKCMMS are now applied in different fields and have been cited in numerous articles on Chinese medicine research by overseas authoritative institutions and in international journals," a DH spokesman said.
The spokesman added that the HKCMMS sets out the names, sources, descriptions of the CMM, as well as methods of identification (including microscopic identification, thin-layer chromatographic identification, gas and high-performance/ultra high-performance liquid chromatographic fingerprinting), tests, extractives and assays. This volume is the 11th of the series, which covers an addition of reference standards for 14 CMM, namely Caryophylli Flos, Changii Radix, Galangae Fructus, Hippophae Fructus, Lycii Fructus, Menthae Haplocalycis Herba, Myrrha, Perillae Folium, Pogostemonis Herba, Poria, Sauropi Folium, Stellariae Radix, Storax and Ziziphi Spinosae Semen, bringing the total to 344.
The criteria for selecting the CMMs for research include the following:
*common usage in the local community;
* international concern in respect of their safety and quality;
* high economic value in the local market; and
* priority being accorded to the CMMs listed in Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 of the Chinese Medicine Ordinance.
The research for HKCMMS Volume 11 was conducted by universities and research institutions from Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Taiwan. An International Advisory Board comprising local, Mainland and overseas experts also advised on the research principles, methodologies, parameters and analytical methods of the HKCMMS. The Government Laboratory developed analytical methods for determining heavy metals, pesticide residues and mycotoxins, and participated in interlaboratory verification. In addition, the National Medical Products Administration, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission provided valuable advice and support to the HKCMMS project.
The DH will arrange briefing sessions for the Chinese medicines trade as well as representatives of laboratories to update them on HKCMMS Volume 11 and the latest research developments of the HKCMMS project.
All Volumes of the HKCMMS are now available for public access atwww.cmro.gov.hk/html/eng/useful_information/hkcmms/volumes.html.
DH announced latest situation of Legionnaires’ Disease cases
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (December 30) reported the latest number of cases of Legionnaires' disease (LD), and reminded the public of the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems, adding that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.
From December 22 to 28, the CHP recorded the following two community-acquired LD cases:

A 70-year-old male patient with underlying illnesses living in Eastern District; and

A 71-year-old male patient with underlying illnesses living in Tai Po District.

"Epidemiological investigations are ongoing to identify potential sources of infection, high-risk exposure and clusters, if any," a spokesman for the CHP said.
As of December 28, 135 LD cases had been recorded this year. In 2023 and 2022, there were 121 and 80 cases respectively.
"Men, people aged over 50, smokers, alcoholics and persons with weakened immunity are more susceptible to LD. Some situations may also increase the risk of infection, including poor maintenance of water systems; living in areas with old water systems, cooling towers or fountains; using electric water heaters, whirlpools and spas or hot water spring spas; and recent stays in hotels or vessels," the spokesman said.
Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpools and spas, water fountains and home apparatus that support breathing. People may become infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.
Immunocompromised persons should:

Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;

Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices; and

If using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices, fill the water tank with only sterile or cooled freshly boiled water, and not water directly from the tap. Also, clean and maintain humidifiers/devices regularly according to manufacturers' instructions. Never leave stagnant water in a humidifier/device. Empty the water tank, wipe all surfaces dry, and change the water daily.

The public should observe the health advice below:

Observe personal hygiene;

Do not smoke and avoid alcohol consumption;

Strainers in water taps and shower heads should be inspected, cleaned, descaled and disinfected regularly or at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer;

If a fresh-water plumbing system is properly maintained, it is not necessary to install domestic water filters. Use of water filters is not encouraged as clogging occurs easily, which can promote growth of micro-organisms. In case water filters are used, the pore size should be 0.2 micrometres (µm) and the filter needs to be changed periodically according to the manufacturer's recommendations;

Drain and clean water tanks of buildings at least quarterly;

Drain or purge for at least one minute infrequently used water outlets (e.g. water taps, shower heads and hot water outlets) and stagnant points of the pipework weekly or before use;

Seek and follow doctors' professional advice regarding the use and maintenance of home respiratory devices and use only sterile water (not distilled or tap water) to clean and fill the reservoir. Clean and maintain the device regularly according to the manufacturer's instructions. After cleaning/disinfection, rinse the device with sterile water, cooled freshly boiled water or water filtered with 0.2 µm filters. Never leave stagnant water in the device. Empty the water tank, keep all surfaces dry, and change the water daily; and

When handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes:

Wear gloves and a face mask;

Water gardens and compost gently using low pressure;

Open composted potting mixes slowly and make sure the opening is directed away from the face;

Wet the soil to reduce dust when potting plants; and

Avoid working in poorly ventilated places such as enclosed greenhouses.

​​The public may visit the CHP'sLD page, theCode of Practice for Prevention of LDand theHousekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Managementof the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP'srisk-based strategyfor prevention and control of LD.
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