In a follow-up on the chikungunya situation in Hong Kong, The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) reports recording one new local case of chikungunya fever (CF), involving a patient who visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails during the incubation period.
According to CHP, the case involves a 40-year-old male living in Tuen Mun District. A preliminary investigation revealed that he developed joint pain and a fever on December 4 and 5 respectively, followed by rash on December 7. He attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Tuen Mun Hospital yesterday (December 9) and was admitted for treatment in a mosquito-free environment and is now in stable condition. His blood sample tested positive for chikungunya virus upon laboratory testing.
The patient had no travel history during the incubation period. The case is classified as local. He hiked along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails with 11 persons on November 30, and reportedly suffered mosquitoe bites there. Other than that, the CHP found no overlap between his activities during the incubation period and the locations visited by earlier confirmed cases.
The Tsing Yi Nature Trails is currently closed until further notice. The relevant government departments are conducting large-scale mosquito control and prevention efforts along the trails.
Hong Kong has recorded a total of 79 confirmed CF cases this year. Among them, 11 were local cases, and the rest were imported cases.
