The Centre for Health Protection on Tuesday said the government plans to list melioidosis as a statutory notifiable infectious disease.

Health authorities also reported three more infections.

In a statement, the centre said authorities are planning to require doctors to report both suspected and confirmed cases of melioidosis amid an increase in infections from previous years.

The centre said it will continue to remind doctors to send melioidosis patients – especially those with chronic diseases – to hospital.

The three latest patients are male, chronically ill and aged between 69 and 89.

One of them lives in Sham Shui Po, where a cluster of melioidosis cases have emerged.

The second man lives in North Point, while the third lives in Tseung Kwan O as well as Chai Wan. The centre said they had not visited Sham Shui Po recently.

All three were in stable condition.

Hong Kong has recorded 34 infections of melioidosis this year so far.