Two New Imported Chikungunya Cases Reported in Hong Kong; Public Urged to Take Mosquito Precautions

Update on chikungunya fever

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) announced that as of 5pm today (August 14), two new imported cases of chikungunya fever (CF) had been recorded. The CHP reminded members of the public to take proper mosquito control and personal protective measures, especially upon returning to Hong Kong from regions where mosquito-borne diseases are endemic. Individuals experiencing symptoms such as fever or acute joint pain should seek medical advice promptly and inform their doctors of their travel history. Do not attempt self-testing, as this may lead to delays in diagnosis and treatment.

Latest case information

The two cases are from the same family, involving a 50-year-old male and his 8-year-old daughter, living in Sai Kung District. Initial investigations revealed that both patients travelled to Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, between July 20 and August 10, and could not confirm whether they had a history of mosquito bites. The male patient developed fever on August 1 while he was in Bangladesh, and joint pain in the limbs the next day (August 2). He sought medical attention from an outpatient clinic there on August 3 and did not require hospitalisation. He was informed that his blood sample tested positive for the CF virus upon laboratory testing. His fever had subsided before returning to Hong Kong on August 10, but due to swollen joints, he attended a private hospitalon August 12. As the patient was afebrile before arriving in Hong Kong (i.e. prior to the ninth day after the onset of symptoms), he was not infectious to mosquitoes upon returning to Hong Kong and did not require hospitalisation.

For the girl, she developed fever, cough and fatigue on August 12 and attended a private hospitalyesterday (August 13). She was admitted for treatment in a mosquito-free environment and is in stable condition.

The two patients' blood samples tested positive for the CF virus upon laboratory testing. Since they stayed in Bangladesh during the whole incubation period, the CHP considered that they were infected during travel, and the cases were classified as imported cases. Their three household contacts (including two travel collaterals who had been to Bangladesh) are currently asymptomatic and under medical surveillance. The CHP's epidemiological investigations are ongoing, and it has reported the cases to the health authority of Bangladesh.

So far this year, Hong Kong has recorded a total of eight confirmed CF cases. All are imported cases. From 2016 to 2019, Hong Kong recorded between one and 11 imported cases annually.

Continuously strengthening prevention and control

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) is conducting vector investigations and targeted mosquito control operations and will intensify mosquito prevention and control measures at the residence of the two patients, as well as locations visited after the onset of symptoms. These measures include:

carrying out intensive fogging in the scrubby areas within a 250-metre radius of the relevant locations to kill adult mosquitoes;

carrying out inspectionof the locations, removing stagnant water, applying insecticides and disposing of abandoned water containers every week with a view to preventing mosquito breeding; and

enhancing public education efforts through organising health talks, setting up mobile education stations, and distributing publicity leaflets.

The CHP's Port Health Division continues to step up inspections at boundary control points and to remind cross-boundary public transport operators and other relevant parties to ensure good environmental hygiene and effective implementation of anti-mosquito measures. Furthermore, staff members of the Port Health Division distribute leaflets to travellers, conduct temperature screenings for inbound travellers, conduct health assessments for travellers with fever or related symptoms, and refer them to hospitals for follow-up when necessary.

To raise awareness among the elderly about preventing CF, the Visiting Health Teams under the Elderly Health Service of the DH have been advising the elderly on CF prevention and travel health at health talks conducted at District Elderly Community Centres and Neighbourhood Elderly Centres. They have also reminded residential care homes for the elderly to enhance mosquito control measures. The DH's Maternal and Child Health Centres, Student Health Service Centres and Special Assessment Centres also advise pregnant women, infant carers and students on symptoms and preventive measures of CF.

To strengthen support for ethnic minority communities, essential information on CF has also been translated into 10 ethnic minority languages (namely Hindi, Nepali, Urdu, Thai, Bahasa Indonesia, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Punjabi, Sinhala and Bengali) and uploaded to the CHPwebsite.

The Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui reminded members of the public that currently, there are no rapid test products on the market that have been certified by international health authorities for public use in self-testing for CF. They should promptly seek medical advice if they suspect they are infected with CF and should not conduct testing on their own as this may delay proper clinical treatment. He also urged the public not to self-medicate, particularly with aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen), as these drugs may cause serious side effects, for example, increasing the risk of haemorrhage. In general, children should not take medications containing aspirin to relieve fever or other symptoms because it may lead to "Reye's syndrome", a serious and potentially fatal complication.

He also added that members of the public should adopt precautions during the rainy season against mosquito-borne diseases. Proper use of DEET-containing insect repellents or other effective active ingredients can effectively prevent mosquito bites, but the following precautions should be taken when using them:

read the label instructions carefully first;

apply right before entering an area with a risk of mosquito bites;

apply on exposed skin and clothing;

use DEET of up to 30 per cent for pregnant women and up to 10 per cent for children (For children who travel to countries or areas where mosquito-borne diseases are endemic or epidemic and where exposure is likely, those aged 2 months or above can use DEET-containing insect repellents with a DEET concentration of up to 30 per cent);

apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent;

reapply only when needed and follow the instructions; and

in addition to DEET, there are other insect repellents available on the market containing different active ingredients, such as IR3535 andpicaridin. When using any insect repellent, the public should follow the usage instructions and precautions on the product label.

In addition, the FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to stay alert and work together to carry out mosquito prevention and control measures early, including inspecting their homes and surroundings to remove potential breeding grounds, changing water in vases and scrubbing their inner surfaces, removing water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week, and properly disposing of containers such as soft drink cans and lunch boxes. The FEHD also advises members of the public and estate management bodies to keep drains free of blockage and level all defective ground surfaces to prevent the accumulation of water. They should also scrub all drains and surface sewers with an alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.

The public should call 1823 in case of mosquito problems and may visit the following pages for more information: the CF page of theCHPand theTravel Health Service, the latestTravel Health News,tips for using insect repellents, and the CHPFacebook Page,Instagram AccountandYouTube Channel, and also theMosquito Prevention and Control dedicated pageof the FEHD.

Source: AI-found images

Hong Kong Customs detects two drug trafficking cases involving passengers at airport

Hong Kong Customs today (May 26) detected two drug trafficking cases involving passengers at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 11 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds and 18kg of suspected ketamine, with a total estimated market value of about $8.85 million. Two men were arrested.

The first case involved a 62-year-old male passenger arriving in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand, today. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 11kg of suspected cannabis buds, with an estimated market of about $2 million, inside his check-in baggage. The man was subsequently arrested.

The second case involved a 58-year-old male passenger arriving in Hong Kong from Paris, France, today. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 18kg of suspected ketamine, with an estimated market of about $6.85 million, inside his check-in baggage. The man was subsequently arrested.

The arrested person in the first case has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and the case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (May 27). For the second case, an investigation is ongoing.

Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.

Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.

Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account(crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Hong Kong Customs detects two drug trafficking cases involving passengers at airport Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects two drug trafficking cases involving passengers at airport Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects two drug trafficking cases involving passengers at airport Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects two drug trafficking cases involving passengers at airport Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases