No New Chikungunya Fever Cases in Hong Kong; Public Urged to Maintain Mosquito Control Measures

Update on chikungunya fever

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) announced that as of 5pm today (August 17), no new case 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.

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

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 ups 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 CHP website.

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. People 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 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 and picaridin. 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

FSD and BD conduct joint inspection and enforcement operation against industrial buildings

In response to earlier media reports on fire safety issues in certain industrial buildings, the Fire Services Department (FSD) and the Buildings Department (BD) are highly concerned about the situation and conducted a joint inspection and enforcement operation targeting industrial buildings from December 29 to 31, 2025, with a view to ensuring public safety.

An industrial building in Kwun Tong, Photo by Bastille Post

The FSD and the BD inspected a total of nine industrial buildings located in various districts in Kowloon and the New Territories during the joint operation. The fire personnel identified a total of 261 irregularities related to various fire hazards, such as obstruction or locking of means of escape, defective or wedged-open smoke stop doors, as well as fire service installations or equipment (FSIs) that were defective or not in efficient working order. The FSD took immediate enforcement action against the persons concerned.

An industrial building in Kwun Tong, Photo by Bastille Post

Among the cases related to obstruction of means of escape, the FSD instituted three prosecutions and issued 22 Fire Hazard Abatement Notices (FHANs), requiring the persons concerned to abate the fire hazards within a specified period. Should they fail to comply with the requirements of the FHANs within the period, the FSD will institute resolute prosecution. In addition, inspections revealed that some buildings had defective smoke stop doors and FSIs. The FSD will issue FHANs to the persons concerned and continue to take follow-up action.

The Buildings Department (BD), Photo source: reference image

The BD identified 13 subdivided flats suspected of being used illegally for domestic purposes. Further investigations are now under way, and letters have been sent to the relevant owners and occupiers asking them to contact the BD as soon as possible to arrange an inspection of their flats. Otherwise, the BD will consider applying for a court warrant to enter the premises for inspection. If it is confirmed that the flats in question have been used for illegal domestic purposes, the BD will take enforcement action in accordance with the Buildings Ordinance, including ordering the cessation of illegal domestic use and rectify the dangerous situations. The BD also identified in the operation that there was dilapidation in the exit staircases of one of the industrial buildings, but no obvious danger to the overall building structure was noted. The BD has issued a repair order to the owners' corporation for conducting the necessary repair work.

The Fire Services Department (FSD), Photo source: reference image

Apart from inspection and enforcement, the FSD also carried out fire prevention education and publicity at the same time during the operation to enhance fire safety awareness among owners and occupiers of industrial buildings, thereby mitigating fire risk from the source. The BD has also long been promoting building safety and the proper use of buildings through various channels, including distributing themed posters to management offices of industrial buildings for displaying in prominent places to serve as a reminder to owners and occupiers that industrial buildings must not be used illegally for domestic purposes.