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HKFP
15 hours ago
- Health
- HKFP
Hong Kong steps up border measures against mosquito-borne chikungunya fever as Guangdong faces outbreak
Hong Kong health authorities have announced tightened border control measures to prepare for imported cases of chikungunya fever, as mainland China is battling an outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease. A recent spike in chikungunya fever in multiple regions worldwide, including neighbouring areas, coupled with more frequent travel over the summer holidays, poses 'a significant risk of imported cases in Hong Kong,' the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said on Tuesday. Thousands of cases have been reported in neighbouring Guangdong province since the chikungunya fever outbreak began earlier this month. As of Saturday, Guangdong logged more than 4,800 infections, while the city of Foshan – the hardest hit – reported over 4,700 confirmed cases. Confirmed cases have also been recorded recently in other cities in Guangdong. There have been no confirmed cases in Hong Kong since 2020. The virus is not transmitted from person to person, and is primarily transmitted to humans through the bite of female Aedes albopictus mosquitoes carrying the virus. 'Therefore, early identification of infected persons and preventing them from mosquito bites during [the] communicable period is vital in [the] prevention of local transmission,' CHP Controller Edwin Tsui said. Control measures Chikungunya fever causes rare fatalities, and its symptoms are milder than those of dengue fever, which is also a mosquito-borne disease. However, 'occasional cases of eye, heart, and neurological complications have been reported' with chikungunya fever infections, the World Health Organization said. The Hong Kong government has adopted several measures to prevent the virus from becoming endemic. According to the statement, the CHP's Port Health Division has been in close contact with Shenzhen Customs 'to ensure prevention and control measures at border control points in Shenzhen and Hong Kong are properly put in place.' The CHP has also enhanced local testing capabilities to ensure that suspected cases can be tested as soon as possible, the statement said. Confirmed patients will be admitted to hospital to receive treatment in a mosquito-free environment. The CHP will also implement prevention and control measures, including providing medical surveillance and health advice to household contacts of the patient or those with common exposure to the source of infection. Together with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), the CHP will also conduct on-site inspections, vector investigations and mosquito control to lower the risk of local transmission. The centre also called on people returning to Hong Kong from areas affected by chikungunya fever to apply insect repellent for 14 days upon arrival. If they feel unwell, they should seek medical advice promptly and provide their travel details to the doctor.
RTHK
22-07-2025
- Health
- RTHK
HK, Macau & Guangdong in joint anti-mosquito campaign
HK, Macau & Guangdong in joint anti-mosquito campaign The Centre for Health Protection said it will take appropriate preventive and control measures to prevent the spread of Chikungunya fever in Hong Kong. File photo: RTHK The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) on Tuesday said it is working closely with health authorities in Macau and Guangdong to fight the spread of Chikungunya fever. According to the World Health Organization, more than 220,000 cases had been recorded in 14 countries and regions, including about 80 fatal ones, as of early June. The Foshan Municipal Health Bureau announced that, as of last Sunday, there had been 2,285 confirmed cases there. Most cases were found in Shunde District. All cases were mild. The controller of the CHP, Edwin Tsui, said the SAR stayed informed with the latest development of the mosquito-borne disease in Guangdong province. Macau, meanwhile, recorded its first case of Chikungunya fever on Friday. It was classified as an imported case. 'Although no confirmed Chikungunya fever cases have been recorded in Hong Kong so far this year, higher temperatures and rainfall in summer are expected to aggravate mosquito infestation in Hong Kong. Additionally, people travel more frequently during the summer holidays, including to regions where mosquito-borne diseases are endemic," Tsui said. 'Consequently, there is an increased risk of imported cases and local transmission of mosquito-borne diseases, such as Chikungunya fever and dengue fever. Members of the public are advised to take protection measures against mosquitoes, whether they're here or travelling outside of Hong Kong." Tsui said inspections have been stepped up at border control points to ensure good environmental hygiene, and temperature checks are conducted for inbound travellers. Travellers with fever will be referred to hospitals when necessary. The CHP will also provide the latest disease information and health advice to the tourism sector and airlines. The centre has issued a letter to all doctors and hospitals in Hong Kong to provide them with the latest epidemiological information. Doctors are urged to watch out for Chikungunya fever-related symptoms among people who return to Hong Kong from outbound travel, and to report cases to the Department of Health. An interdepartmental steering committee will hold a meeting on Wednesday to review the latest situation and anti-mosquito work of various departments.
RTHK
29-05-2025
- Health
- RTHK
Covid to drop to lower level in a month or two: CHP
Covid to drop to lower level in a month or two: CHP Health authorities say various indicators, including the number of Covid patients seeking help, have shown that coronavirus activity has dropped. File photo: AFP Health authorities on Thursday said Covid activity in Hong Kong appears to be declining from its peak, but that it would take "a month or two" before reaching a lower level. The Centre for Health Protection said the percentage of respiratory samples testing positive for the coronavirus and the viral load in sewage samples have gone down in the week ending on May 24, compared to the period between May 11 and 17. The number of patients seeking medical help for Covid also dropped, the centre said in a statement. But the centre's controller, Edwin Tsui, noted that coronavirus activity would remain "relatively high" in the meantime. "Hong Kong has experienced an upsurge in Covid-19 cases since April this year, more than half a year after the last increase in July and August of last year. The current active period is expected," he said. "Although the activity of Covid-19 has started to decline, with reference to previous data, we expect that it will remain at a relatively high level in the short term, and will take a month or two to gradually decline to a lower level." Tsui noted XDV and variants descended from it, including NB.1.8.1, have become the most prevalent strains in the SAR, according to genetic analysis. NB1.8.1 has been assigned as one of the "variants under monitoring" by the World Health Organization, but the body suggested that the risk it posed was low. To that, Tsui said Covid vaccines currently used in Hong Kong "can effectively prevent infection and severe disease", while urging high-risk individuals to "not take this lightly" and get inoculated with a booster shot.
Hindustan Times
20-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Is Covid back? Here's what authorities in India, Hong Kong, and Singapore say as cases go up
Covid-19 cases in Asia have seen a surge in recent weeks, with Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand being the most affected. After the years of the pandemic, in which the world almost came to a standstill, the big question is whether Covid is back again. India has remained largely unaffected by the recent surge in cases, with the government maintaining that the situation is under control. – Covid cases in India: As per the data from the ministry of health and family welfare, India reported 164 cases since May 12 and the total number of active Covid infections in the country stood at 257 on Tuesday. Kerala reported the highest number of cases at 69, followed by Maharashtra at 44 and Tamil Nadu at 34. – Review meet held in India: Experts from the National Centre for Disease Control, Emergency Medical Relief division, Disaster Management Cell, Indian Council of Medical Research, and central government hospitals held a review meeting on Monday under the chairpersonship of the director general of health services. "The meeting concluded that the current Covid-19 situation in India remains under control. As of May 19, 2025, the number of active Covid-19 cases in India stands at 257, a very low figure considering the country's large population. Almost all of these cases are mild, with no hospitalisation required," an official told PTI. –2 Covid deaths in Mumbai, sources say: Mumbai's KEM Hospital reported two Covid-19 positive deaths, both patients having underlying serious health conditions, according to sources cited in a PTI news agency report. "One patient had oral cancer, while the other suffered from nephrotic syndrome. Both the deaths were attributed to their pre-existing conditions rather than Covid-19." ANI quoted sources. HT could not independently verify the report. – Hong Kong and Singapore Covid-19 cases: While there is an uptick in cases in Southeast Asian countries, the Covid still seems to be in check. Authorities in Hong Kong and Singapore have urged caution but have also said that these waves were expected. The Singapore ministry of health and the communicable diseases agency said that the estimated number of Covid-19 cases stood at 14,200 for the week of April 27 to May 3, rising from the previous week's figure of 11,100, the Straits Times reported. "After the resumption of normalcy, Hong Kong experienced cycles of active periods of Covid-19 every six to nine months. We expect the activity level of Covid-19 to remain at a higher level for at least the next few weeks,' the controller of Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection, Edwin Tsui, said in a press release. Last week, Singapore's health minister, Ong Ye Kung, had posted on Facebook that periodic Covid-19 waves are "expected throughout the year". – South Korea: Meanwhile, the South Korea's Disease Control and Prevention Agency extended its seasonal Covid vaccination period last month by two months, until the end of June. It advised people aged 65 and above to get inoculated with the JN.1 shot from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
New JN.1 Covid variant cases surge in Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand: Should India be worried?
Officials meet to assess preparedness Live Events Neighbours see significant increases New variants driving spread Immunity is waning, say officials India remains cautious, not complacent (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel As several Asian countries witness a sharp uptick in Covid-19 cases, Indian health authorities have said the situation at home remains 'under control', with only a slight rise in some to officials quoted by PTI, India reported 257 active cases as of 19 May 2025. 'As per the preliminary information available, the cases are mostly mild, not associated with unusual severity or mortality,' an official said. The central government is closely monitoring the developments and has increased health surveillance nationwide.A review meeting was held in New Delhi on Monday. It was chaired by the Director General of Health Services and included senior experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Emergency Medical Relief (EMR) division, Disaster Management Cell, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and major central government concluded that while the region is seeing a surge, 'the number of cases seen until Monday was very low considering the large population of the country.' They also confirmed that almost all cases in India have been mild and did not require hospitalisation.'A robust system for surveillance of respiratory viral illnesses, including Covid-19, also exists in the country through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and ICMR,' an official latest Covid-19 wave sweeping across Southeast Asia has led to alarming case numbers. In Singapore, the Ministry of Health reported 14,200 cases in the week of 27 April to 3 May 2025, up from 11,100 the previous week. Hospitalisations rose too, from 102 to 133 per day. However, the number of intensive care patients dropped from three to two daily.'The hospitals are currently able to manage the increase in cases,' the Singapore Health Ministry stated in its has seen a bigger jump. Between 11 and 17 May, the country reported 33,030 new infections, with over 6,000 of them in Bangkok alone. According to the Department of Disease Control, this surge was likely fuelled by holiday travel during Songkran, the Thai New Year, held from 13 to 15 Hong Kong, test positivity rates more than doubled in four weeks — from 6.21% to 13.66% between early and mid-April. 'After the resumption of normalcy, Hong Kong experienced cycles of active periods of Covid-19 in every six to nine months,' said Dr Edwin Tsui, Controller of the Centre for Health mainland China reported an increase between 31 March and 4 May. The Chinese CDC noted a jump in Covid positivity among patients with flu-like symptoms, rising from 7.5% to 16.2%. Among hospitalised patients, the rate nearly doubled — from 3.3% to 6.3%.Health experts point to the spread of new Omicron-related variants as a major factor behind the resurgence. Singapore has confirmed that LF.7 and NB.1.8 — both sub-lineages of the JN.1 variant — now account for more than two-thirds of all sequenced Covid cases there.'At present, LF.7 and NB.1.8 (both descendants of the JN.1 variant) are the main COVID-19 variants circulating in Singapore, together accounting for more than two-thirds of locally sequenced cases. JN.1 is also the variant used in the formulation of the current Covid-19 vaccine,' Singapore's Ministry of Health JN.1 variant, first identified in August 2023, was classified by the World Health Organisation as a 'variant of interest' in December the same year. It is part of the Omicron BA.2.86 family and is characterised by over 30 Thailand, the XEC variant — another Omicron sub-strain — is also in circulation and may have contributed to the surge, especially during public across the region believe that immunity built from earlier vaccinations or infections is wearing off. Singaporean health authorities pointed out that many of the infected hadn't received booster shots in over a year. Seasonal factors, increased travel, and larger gatherings may also be accelerating the spread.'Taking into account local and global epidemiological data in recent years, the CHP is of the view that Covid-19 has evolved into an endemic disease with a periodic pattern,' said Dr Tsui of Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection. He added that the city now expects active Covid cycles every six to nine months, mainly due to declining herd immunity and changing has not officially confirmed any local spread of the JN.1 variant or its sub-lineages. But the government remains alert. 'The Health Ministry remains vigilant and proactive in monitoring the situation closely,' a source told PTI. 'Appropriate measures are in place to safeguard public health.'For now, there's no sign of a significant domestic surge. But the global rise in cases has served as a reminder — the pandemic's grip may have loosened, but it hasn't vanished.
