Cholera and nightsoil infection in Hong Kong, 1966.

In 1966 there occurred in Hong Kong the rare combination of, in one area, a non-imported case of cholera with no nightsoil infection and, in another area, heavy infection of the nightsoil with no cholera cases. Investigation revealed that there was no connexion between the case (in Kowloon) and the short-lived nightsoil infection (on Hong Kong Island). The hypothesis is advanced that the infection of 5 premises was due to their being visited by a ship's crew, who later left Hong Kong, without the infection spreading to the permanent residents. The authors stress that, in slightly different circumstances and without the existing system of nightsoil monitoring, this infection would not have been detected and cases of cholera might have occurred with no forewarning.