MACAO, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) will increase its stock of encephalitis bacterin, as the disease is highly contagious in the summer time, said a senior health official here Sunday.

　　Koi Kuok Ieng, director of the Macao Health Service, said the SAR government has called on local residents to pay attention to personal hygiene and food safety, especially when they plan to go out for travel.

　　According to Koi, Macao will buy another 200 doses of encephalitis bacterin, which will be enough to try the epidemic immunity on 1,000 people. The purchase would add the stock enough for 2,000 people.

　　Despite the immunity effect of the bacterin, Macao's health authority has suggested people to take it cautiously and seek doctors' advice for the necessity of inoculation.

　　The Health Service has imposed public education on the disease,and appeased worries by saying that there is no hog rearing farm in Macao, since scientists have found the virus on hogs.

　　The Disease Prevention and Control Center of Macao has given Macao an evaluation of low infection possibility of the encephalitis B outbreak, as Macao has only recorded one such case in the past 20 years.

　　Meanwhile, health checks reinforced at Macao's customs since the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) will continue to act as a defense against epidemic spreading across theborder during the summer.

　　Koi said that Macao will sustain the quarantine checks at all of its entry points till June next year, which requires passengersto fill in health declaration forms and go through infrared temperature examination. Enditem