Mainland Chinese tourists were loosening their purse strings as they flocked to Hong Kong at the start of the National Day holiday on Wednesday, with many opting to stay a few days to enjoy the fireworks, outdoor attractions and urban vibes. Hong Kong authorities estimated that as many as 1.54 million mainland visitors, including 1,200…
Hong Kong has recorded a new imported case of Chikungunya fever involving a woman who travelled to Foshan in Guangdong province, bringing the total to 13. Centre for Health Protection controller Edwin Tsui Lok-kin on Saturday urged schools to follow the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department’s anti-mosquito guidelines to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases…
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Just before news broke in July of a chikungunya outbreak in Foshan, Guangdong province, I was on a field trip with a group of students in Pok Fu Lam. It was a sultry day; recent rains had increased the humidity. It was impossible not to sweat. As we made our first stop to begin an…
The risk of importing the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus into Hong Kong is expected to rise, according to a senior health official, who has identified the increasing global prevalence of the disease caused by climate change and residents’ frequent summer travel as factors. But Ronald Lam Man-kin, director of the Department of Health, sought on Sunday…
Weaponising mosquitos against themselves to curb the spread of chikungunya fever in Hong Kong is not a sustainable solution due to the costs involved and questions about its effectiveness, experts have said, citing the experience of Singapore. Specialists said on Wednesday that Hong Kong should instead strengthen its existing measures used to combat the spread…
Hong Kong will deploy robotic dogs as part of its enhanced mosquito-control efforts to curb the chikungunya virus, as the number of imported cases is expected to rise, the environment chief has said. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan revealed the new measure on Saturday after the number of imported cases of the mosquito-borne…
Hong Kong recorded a new imported case of chikungunya fever on Friday, bringing the total to nine patients with the mosquito-borne disease. A Centre for Health Protection spokesman said that the latest case involved a 23-year-old man who had travelled to Foshan in Guangdong province on August 1. “He is now in a stable condition….
Hong Kong is developing a rapid test for chikungunya fever that could detect the disease at an earlier stage, as part of the city’s efforts to harness technology to combat the public health risk. Ricky Chiu Yin-to, founder and CEO of biotechnology company Phase Scientific, said on Monday that his team was working to develop…
Hong Kong health authorities have warned of a heightened risk of possible chikungunya fever transmissions in the city as more Asian travel destinations popular among residents have also recorded local cases of the mosquito-borne disease. Director of Health Dr Ronald Lam Man-kin on Sunday also highlighted the challenges of preventing the disease from spreading, pointing…