No New Chikungunya 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 23), 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.

Analysis of imported cases

"Hong Kong has recorded nine imported CF cases this year, involving six males and three females aged between 8 and 79 years (median age: 31). Five cases involved individuals who had travelled to Foshan in Guangdong Province during the incubation period, while four involved individuals who had travelled to Bangladesh. The public should be aware that although the number of new CF cases in Foshan in Guangdong Province has been declining steadily in the past few weeks, many countries worldwide are currently experiencing CF outbreaks. It is essential to check the situation of the destinations before travelling abroad. Members of the public who experience typical symptoms of CF (e.g. fever and joint pain) after returning to Hong Kong from a region where CF is prevalent should seek medical attention immediately and inform their doctors of their travel history. The public should not self-medicate, with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen), to prevent aggravating 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," the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui said.

"The CHP's genetic analysis showed that Aedes albopictus mosquitoes can effectively transmit the currently circulating CF virus. If imported cases are bitten by mosquitoes during the infectious period in Hong Kong, there is a risk of local transmission. Therefore, mosquito prevention and control efforts are of the utmost importance. Whether in town or travelling abroad, it is important to maintain environmental hygiene, take mosquito prevention and control measures, and adopt personal protective measures. Scientific research indicates that asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic infected individuals can transmit the CF virus to mosquitoes through bites. Residents returning to Hong Kong from areas affected by mosquito-borne diseases should continue to take measures to prevent mosquito bites for 14 days," he added.

Continuously strengthening prevention and control

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) continues to conduct vector investigations and targeted mosquito control operations and has intensified mosquito prevention and control measures at the residence of the 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-ups when necessary.

To raise awareness among the elderly about preventing mosquito-borne diseases, the Visiting Health Teams under the Elderly Health Service of the DH have been advising the elderly on mosquito-borne diseases prevention and tips on travel health at health talks conducted at District Elderly Community Centres and Neighbourhood Elderly Centres. Besides, the Visiting Health Teams have also reminded all residential care homes for the elderly in Hong Kong 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 the mosquito-borne diseases.

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.

Dr Edwin Tsui reminded members of the public to 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

Secretary for Health attends 20th Joint Meeting of Senior Health Officials of Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in Macao

The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, led a delegation to attend the 20th Joint Meeting of Senior Health Officials of the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao hosted by the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government in Macao today (January 15).

The annual Joint Meeting has long been a platform for senior medical and health officials as well as experts from the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao to exchange views and share experiences on present-day medical and public health issues, as well as to promote healthcare service development. The Joint Meeting is hosted by the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in rotation.

The Minister of the National Health Commission, Mr Lei Haichao, and the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Ms O Lam, led senior health officials from the Mainland and the Macao SAR Government respectively to participate in the meeting. Members of the delegations of the three places today engaged in sharing and discussions over three major topics, namely nurturing interdisciplinary and composite talent in clinical management, disease prevention and control, and medical administration; strengthening primary healthcare services to safeguard community health, and the application of smart healthcare in the health sector.

Professor Lo said, "The Recommendations of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, features the term 'reform' 23 times, unequivocally underscoring the nation's steadfast commitment to deepening reforms. Hong Kong has consistently been playing an active role in the course of the country's reform and opening up. Serving as a 'super connector' between the Mainland and the world, Hong Kong also functions as an indispensable 'super value-adder', facilitating the nation's effort in going global while attracting foreign investment to the Mainland market.

"The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has consistently emphasised in the Policy Addresses of the past three years the HKSAR Government's full commitment to developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub, and to vigorously foster new quality productive forces. To achieve this significant objective, the HKSAR Government is actively advancing various initiatives, including the setting up of the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation within this year, with a view to establishing the Centre as an internationally recognised regulatory authority for medical products as soon as possible; the official launch of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Clinical Trial Collaboration Platform last month, enabling pharmaceutical companies to conduct trials simultaneously in Hong Kong and Shenzhen; as well as the commissioning of the Real-World Study and Application Centre to promote the standardisation of clinical data across the GBA."

The Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (HA), Dr Libby Lee, and the Director of Cluster Services of the HA, Dr Wong Yiu-chung, moderated a discussion and gave a presentation on the application of smart healthcare in the health sector respectively. Meanwhile, the acting Deputy Director of Health, Dr Jackie Leung, and the Commissioner for Primary Healthcare, Dr Pang Fei-chau, delivered presentations on the topic of nurturing interdisciplinary and composite talent in clinical management, disease prevention and control, and medical administration; as well as on the topic of strengthening primary healthcare services to safeguard community health respectively.

Members of the HKSAR Government delegation included the Chairman of the HA, Mr Henry Fan, and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, who concluded the discussion at the meeting.

Professor Lo will return to Hong Kong in the evening. During his absence, the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Cecilia Fan, is the Acting Secretary for Health.

Secretary for Health attends 20th Joint Meeting of Senior Health Officials of Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in Macao Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Secretary for Health attends 20th Joint Meeting of Senior Health Officials of Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in Macao Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases