CHP examines very first imported chikungunya fever case in Hong Kong this year
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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (August 2) examining an imported chikungunya fever (CF) case. This is the very first case tape-recorded in Hong Kong this year. The CHP advised members of the general public to preserve stringent ecological health, mosquito control and individual protective procedures both in your area and when taking a trip beyond Hong Kong.
The case included a 12-year-old kid with great previous health living in Kwun Tong. He established fever, rash and joint discomfort considering that July 31 and looked for medical attention from a personal physician on the very same day. Regardless of the signs are moderate, he was described the Accident and Emergency Department of United Christian Hospital on August 1 due to his current travel history. He was confessed for treatment in a mosquito-free environment on the exact same day. The client is now in steady condition. His blood sample evaluated favorable for CF infection upon lab screening.
Preliminary examinations exposed that the client took a trip to Foshan in Guangdong Province in between July 17 and 30, and remembered a history of mosquito bites throughout the stay. Given that the client remained in Foshan throughout the entire incubation duration, the CHP thinks about that the client was contaminated throughout travel, and the case was categorized as an imported case. His home contacts (consisting of one travel security) are presently asymptomatic and under medical monitoring. The CHP’s epidemiological examinations is continuous and has actually reported the case to the health authorities of Guangdong.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has actually carried out vector examinations and targeted mosquito control operations and will magnify mosquito avoidance and control steps at the house of the client, in addition to places checked out after the start of signs. These procedures consist of:
- performing extensive misting in the scrubby locations within 250-metre radius of the pertinent areas to eliminate adult mosquitoes;
- performing assessment of the areas, eliminating stagnant water, using insecticides and dealing with deserted water containers weekly with a view to avoiding mosquito breeding; and
- improving public education efforts through arranging health talks, establishing mobile education stations, and dispersing promotion brochures.
The abovementioned case is the very first imported CF case in Hong Kong this year. From 2016 to 2019, in between one and 11 CF cases were tape-recorded in Hong Kong each year, all of which were imported cases.
According to the World Health Organization, CF cases have actually been tape-recorded in more than 110 countries/regions. Since early June this year, over 220 000 cases had actually been reported in 14 countries/regions around the world (consisting of the Mainland, Taiwan and Singapore which are popular traveler locations for Hong Kong people). Of these cases, about 80 were deadly. According to the details from the Foshan health authority, as of July 31 there were over 6 900 cases. Most of cases (5 972 cases) remained in Shunde District. All cases were moderate, without any extreme or deadly cases. Validated cases were likewise taped in other cities in Guangdong Province just recently. Concerning Macao, 6 imported cases and one regional case of CF were tape-recorded considering that mid-July.
“CF is not transmitted from person to person, and is primarily transmitted to humans through the bite of female Aedes mosquitoes carrying the CF virus. Eliminating mosquito breeding sites and avoiding mosquito bites are the most effective measures. During the early stage after the onset of symptoms (especially when a fever is present), the blood of patients of CF contains a large amount of virus, which is infectious to mosquitoes. If they are bitten by mosquitoes during the communicable period, further local transmission via mosquitoes is possible. Therefore, avoiding mosquito bites of the patient is an important measure to prevent local transmission,” stated the Head of the Communicable Disease Branch of the CHP, Dr Albert Au.
Regardless of serious or deadly cases brought on by CF is uncommon and the signs are milder than that of Dengue Fever, and many clients recuperate by themselves, as regional mosquitoes have actually not brought the CF infection, the Government aims to avoid CF from ending up being endemic in Hong Kong, and has actually embraced multi-pronged emergency situation readiness, consisting of enhancing public education and promotion, stepping up control procedures at border control points, improving regional screening abilities, organizing mosquito-free environment for treatments, carrying out epidemiological examinations and run the risk of evaluations for verified cases, heightening mosquito avoidance and control steps, and so on. The General Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the CHP is geared up with adequate screening abilities. The CHP has, in cooperation with the Hospital Authority, even more boosted the regional screening abilities to make sure that in case of a break out, presumed cases might be evaluated as quickly as possible with an objective of early detection and medical diagnosis.
Dr Au advised members of the general public that individuals returning from locations impacted by mosquito-borne illness ought to use bug spray for 14 days upon arrival in Hong Kong. Members of the general public must carefully observe individual health conditions, in specific signs such as fever, joint discomfort and rash. If they feel unhealthy, they need to look for medical recommendations quickly and offer their travel information to the medical professional for scientific medical diagnosis and set up suitable screening based upon a specific client’s condition. Members of the general public are prompted not to self-medicate, especially with aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen), as these drugs might trigger major adverse effects, for instance increasing the danger of haemorrhage.
The FEHD interest members of the general public to continue to remain alert and interact to perform mosquito avoidance and control procedures early, consisting of examining their homes and environments to get rid of possible breeding premises, altering water in vases and scrubbing their inner surface areas, eliminating water in dishes under potted plants a minimum of as soon as a week, and correctly dealing with containers such as soda cans and lunch boxes. The FEHD likewise recommends members of the general public and estate management bodies to keep drains pipes without clog and level all malfunctioning ground surface areas to avoid the build-up of water. They need to likewise scrub all drains pipes and surface area sewage systems with an alkaline cleaning agent a minimum of when a week to get rid of any mosquito eggs. Members of the general public are likewise advised to beware of the following recommendations on mosquito control:
- Completely examine all gully traps, roofing seamless gutters, surface area channels and drains pipes to avoid clog;
- Scrub and tidy drains pipes and surface area channels with an alkaline cleaning agent substance a minimum of as soon as a week to get rid of any transferred mosquito eggs;
- Appropriately deal with refuse, such as soda cans, empty bottles and boxes in covered litter containers;
- Totally alter the water of flowers and plants a minimum of as soon as a week. Making use of dishes ought to be prevented if possible;
- Level irregular ground surface areas before the rainy season;
- Set up mosquito screens on doors and windows if required, or utilize mosquito screens or internet in indoor locations;
- Prevent remaining in shrubby locations; and
- Take individual protective procedures such as using light-coloured long-sleeved clothing and pants, and use bug spray including DEET to clothes or exposed locations of the body when doing outside activities.
The general public must call 1823 in case of mosquito issues and might go to the following pages to find out more: the CF page of the CHP and the Travel Health Service, the current Travel Health News, ideas for utilizing bug sprays, and the CHP Facebook Page, Instagram Account and YouTube Channel, and likewise Mosquito Prevention and Control devoted page of the FEHD.