First chikungunya fever case in 6 years raises transmission risk in Hong Kong
The Centre for Health Protection confirmed the case on Saturday, weeks after a surge in infections was recorded in neighbouring Guangdong province.
Albert Au Ka-wing, head of the centre's communicable disease branch, said the 12-year-old patient had travelled with his mother to Shunde district in Foshan between July 17 and 30, during which he was bitten by mosquitoes.
The boy, who lives in On Tat Estate in Kwun Tong, was in good health previously.
On Thursday, he developed a fever, rash and joint pain and visited a private doctor before being admitted to United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong the following day. A blood sample tested positive for the disease on Saturday morning.
The boy was in a stable condition, Au said, adding that his mother and another family member who was living with them had not shown any symptoms.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong steps up mosquito control measures after chikungunya fever case found
Hong Kong authorities have stepped up mosquito control measures at a hospital and the neighbourhood where the city's first imported case of chikungunya fever since 2019 was reported. Advertisement The Housing Authority and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department stepped up anti-mosquito efforts at Kwun Tong's On Tat Estate and United Christian Hospital over the weekend. The measures include setting up more traps, applying larvicidal oil in breeding spots, clearing stagnant water and grass near drainage holes, strengthening disinfection and conducting outreach efforts to remind residents to clean water from flower pots. Authorities confirmed that a 12-year-old boy living on the estate had contracted chikungunya, a mosquito-borne disease behind outbreaks in neighbouring Guangdong province. 'The mosquito infestation index in the area is relatively stable, but it is showing an upwards trend,' Hsu Yau-wai, a district councillor whose office is located within the same public housing estate, said on Sunday. Advertisement He said that any residents concerned about the incident could seek help from him and the relevant government departments, adding that no one had approached him with concerns so far. The city's first patient since 2019 had travelled with his mother to Foshan city's Shunde district between July 17 and 30, during which time he was bitten by mosquitoes.
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Adult pacifiers trending in China for stress relief and sleep; doctors warn of health risks
Adult pacifiers which claim to relieve anxiety and improve sleep have become a trending product in China, sparking concerns from doctors and internet users. Some online shops claim they sell more than 2,000 such items a month. They are described as being bigger than the baby version and sell for between 10 and 500 yuan (US$1.4 and US$70), the news outlet The Cover reported. Many shops say that adult pacifiers offer stress relief and help with sleep. Online shops claim the adult-sized dummies can help relieve stress and aid sleep. Photo: Handout Some say the products can also help people quit smoking and assist with proper breathing.
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
New climate study revisits tie between air pollution in East Asia and global warming
Over the past decade, clean-up efforts in East Asia have reduced air pollution significantly, improving quality of life and health in the region – but they may have inadvertently contributed to the acceleration of global warming by removing particles that helped cool the Earth. Advertisement Pollutants are made up of aerosols, liquid and solid particles suspended in the air. Although good for health, their removal leads to less cloud and less ground protection from the sun and may have altered global climate and weather patterns – although how to quantify the impact is an ongoing debate among scientists. A recent independent climate study published in Communications Earth & Environment journal on July 14 said it might have found a potential correlation between the two by studying the falling levels of air pollution in East Asia over the past decade. 12:48 A fresh start: Why is Indonesia building a new capital? A fresh start: Why is Indonesia building a new capital? 'Polluted air may have been masking the full effects of global warming', said Bjørn Samset, a senior researcher in climate and atmospheric sciences at the Centre for International Climate and Environmental Research in Oslo and a contributing author to the study. The East Asian region – which includes China, Japan, North and South Korea and Mongolia – has undertaken major efforts to cut air pollution over the past decade. In China especially, efforts to reduce the emission of sulphur dioxide (SO2) brought about the world's most significant improvements to air quality. The amount of SO2 polluting the air in East Asia has fallen by an estimated 75 per cent since 2013, according to the study. Advertisement The study found that emission reduction in East Asia had likely contributed up to 0.05 degrees Celsius (0.09 degrees Fahrenheit) of the observed 0.06 degree per decade average rate of global surface warming – or how quickly the global surface temperature is rising – since 2010.
