CHP reveals no brand-new verified chikungunya fever infection cases today (with images)
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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (August 9) stated that no brand-new verified chikungunya fever (CF) infection cases had actually been tape-recorded as at 5pm today. The CHP will continue to enhance its monitoring operate in view of the CF cases in current days. Members of the general public are encouraged to preserve rigorous ecological health, mosquito control and individual protective steps both in your area and when taking a trip beyond Hong Kong. Preventing mosquito bites and removing mosquito reproducing websites work methods to avoid CF.
An overall of 5 CF cases have actually been taped in Hong Kong this year, all of which were imported cases, and one likely case has actually been taped. 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.
In view of the event of numerous imported cases in Hong Kong, the threat of secondary regional transmission through mosquitoes exists. The CHP will release a letter once again to advise medical professionals to organize screening for clients with medically suitable discussions of CF no matter travel history. Evaluating must likewise be thought about for clients with any signs of CF and a travel history to impacted locations, based upon scientific judgment. The CHP’s Public Health Laboratory Services Branch will offer complimentary screening to make sure fast medical diagnosis.
The DH has actually boosted promotion and education efforts concerning CF targeting various groups. The CHP’s Port Health Division continues to step up examinations at border control indicate guarantee excellent ecological health and efficient execution of anti-mosquito steps, and likewise disperses brochures to visitors. The Port Health Division personnel has actually just recently advised MTR Corporation, cross-boundary coach and ferryboat business operators, and the Airport Authority to reinforce anti-mosquito procedures. Personnel members of the Port Health Division likewise carry out temperature level screening for incoming tourists. Any visitors with fever or associated signs will be evaluated for their health condition and described health centers for follow-up when essential.
To raise the awareness of the senior on avoiding CF, the Visiting Health Teams under the Elderly Health Service of the DH have actually been recommending the senior on CF avoidance and travel health at the health talks carried out at District Elderly Community Centres and Neighbourhood Elderly Centres, and advising domestic care homes for the senior to improve mosquito control procedures. The Visiting Health Teams under the Elderly Health Service has actually promoted info of CF avoidance at more than 300 health promo activities offered to the senior and their carers. In addition, the Elderly Health Service has actually scheduled the circulation of pertinent brochures at Elderly Health Centres throughout the 18 districts, with a view to assisting the senior to learn more about the signs of CF and improve their awareness of avoidance of CF. The Family Health Service has actually likewise recommended pregnant ladies and baby carers at its Maternal and Child Health Centres about safety measures for avoiding CF. The Student Health Service will disperse advertising brochures to trainees at its Student Health Service Centres and Special Assessment Centres so that trainees might find out more about signs of CF.
The Health Promotion Branch is dedicated to distributing health info on the avoidance of mosquito-borne illness (consisting of CF) to the general public through numerous channels. Procedures consist of establishing Info Stations throughout numerous districts in Hong Kong (www.chp.gov.hk/en/other/events/476.html) and dispersing pertinent health messages through various online and offline platforms, with material upgraded as suitable due to the current advancement. To enhance assistance for ethnic minority neighborhoods, vital details on CF has actually likewise been equated into 10 ethnic minority languages (consisting of Hindi, Nepali, Urdu, Thai, Bahasa Indonesia, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Punjabi, Sinhala and Bengali) and submitted to the CHP site. The Health Promotion Branch has actually likewise called stakeholders serving ethnic minority groups (such as non-governmental organisations and spiritual groups) to disperse pertinent health products, so that more members of the general public can access anti-mosquito details and collaborate to avoid the spread of CF.
The Head of the Communicable Disease Branch of the CHP, Dr Albert Au, advised members of the general public to embrace preventative measures in the rainy season versus mosquito-borne illness. If members of the general public return from locations impacted by mosquito-borne illness, they need to use bug spray for 14 days upon arrival in Hong Kong. They must carefully observe their individual health condition, in specific signs such as fever, joint discomfort and rash. If they feel unhealthy, they ought to look for medical suggestions immediately and supply their travel information to the physician for medical diagnosis and plan of proper screening based upon a specific client’s condition. Members of the general public are advised not to self-medicate, especially with aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen), as these drugs might trigger severe negative effects, for instance increasing the danger of haemorrhage. In basic, kids need to not take medications consisting of aspirin to eliminate fever or other signs, as it might cause a severe and possibly deadly issue called “Reye’s syndrome”
The CHP suggests that the general public appropriately utilize DEET-containing bug sprays or other efficient active components to efficiently avoid mosquito bites. The following preventative measures need to be taken when utilizing them:
- check out the label guidelines thoroughly initially;
- use right before getting in a location with threat of mosquito bites;
- use on exposed skin and clothes;
- usage DEET of as much as 30 percent for pregnant ladies and approximately 10 percent for kids (For kids who take a trip to nations or locations where mosquito-borne illness are endemic or epidemic and where direct exposure is likely, those aged 2 months or above can utilize DEET-containing bug sprays with a DEET concentration of approximately 30 percent);
- use sun block initially, then bug spray;
- reapply just when required and follow the guidelines; and
- in addition to DEET, there are other bug sprays offered on the marketplace consisting of various active components, such as IR3535, picaridin etc. When utilizing any bug spray, the general public needs to follow the use directions and preventative measures on the item label.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) interest members of the general public to continue to remain alert and collaborate to perform mosquito avoidance and control procedures early, consisting of examining their homes and environments to eliminate 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 effectively getting rid of containers such as soda cans and lunch boxes. The FEHD likewise encourages members of the general public and estate management bodies to keep drains pipes devoid of clog and level all malfunctioning ground surface areas to avoid the build-up of water. They ought to likewise scrub all drains pipes and surface area drains with an alkaline cleaning agent a minimum of as soon as a week to eliminate any mosquito eggs.
The general public ought to 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, suggestions for utilizing bug sprays, and the CHP Facebook Page, Instagram Account and YouTube Channel, and likewise Mosquito Prevention and Control committed page of the FEHD.