Hong Kong has confirmed its first locally acquired case of chikungunya fever, involving an 82-year-old woman residing in Fung Tak Estate, Wong Tai Sin, whose nucleic acid test returned positive. The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) estimates that approximately 10,000 residents across 20 buildings in the estate and adjacent areas—totaling around 8,000 households—may be at risk. As of 6 p.m. on Oct. 26, health authorities had assessed 450 residents, with no suspected cases identified thus far.
Dr. Edwin Tsui, the Controller of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP), emphasized during a radio program on Oct. 27 that while Wong Tai Sin is considered relatively high-risk, other districts are not "zero-risk." Epidemiological investigations confirmed no links between this case and previously recorded infections, suggesting the virus may have been introduced by an infected traveler who did not seek medical treatment, leading to local transmission.
Dr. Tsui noted that although the mosquito density index in Wong Tai Sin is not high, a small number of mosquitoes capable of transmitting the virus remain. Authorities are prioritizing mosquito control measures to reduce adult mosquito populations. With decreased mosquito activity in winter and reduced rainfall limiting stagnant water, the transmission risk is expected to decline. If no further local cases emerge by mid-November, the outbreak can be considered under control.
Miss Anita Fok, Chief Pest Control Officer of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), stated that the department has taken immediate follow-up actions, including mosquito eradication, inspections of high-risk sites, and clearing stagnant water in Fung Tak Estate. She highlighted that the estate's wooded areas and slopes require targeted fogging, while gardens and open drainage channels—common breeding grounds for Aedes albopictus mosquitoes—need regular monitoring by residents and estate management.
The FEHD will also contact nearby schools to inspect premises for potential mosquito breeding sites, particularly in gardens, and urge crowded venues such as shopping malls to conduct weekly checks for stagnant water.
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