Cholera outbreak in 1932 and a public education pamphlet on the prevention of cholera

In 1932, a devastating wave of cholera swept across the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong, claiming over 100 000 lives with a staggering case-fatality rate of 50%. 1 Dr Arthur R Wellington, the Director of Medical and Sanitary Services, documented the sequence of events during that outbreak in the Hong Kong Medical & Sanitary Report for the Year 1932. 1 The initial cases were reported in Shanghai in late April 1932.By May, the outbreak had reached Guangzhou, where 333 cases were recorded by 18 June. 1 Recognising the imminent threat, the Hong Kong Government implemented several public health measures to prevent and mitigate a local epidemic.To prevent imported cases, especially travellers 'coming daily by steamer and rail' from Guangdong, the Government stepped up measures at various ports.Tung Wah Infectious Diseases Hospital was requisitioned and "placed at the disposal of the Medical Department". 1 To ensure a coordinated and prompt response, daily medical conferences were convened.Furthermore, the production of cholera vaccine was ramped up, yielding a total of 37 536 mL, which was used for free public immunisation in Hong Kong as well as being shipped to Macau. 1 The first cases of cholera in Hong Kong were reported on 20 June 1932 in travellers from Guangzhou.The subsequent local outbreak persisted until September 1932, affecting 241 individuals, with a case-fatality rate of 64.7%. 1 Dr Wellington commented that "taking all circumstances into consideration one can only say Hong Kong was lucky to escape so lightly". 1