Disease control a community effort

An international travel and trade crossroads like Hong Kong is more at risk from the latest global disease threats, Ebola and Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers), than most other cities. Sars and bird flu have taught us valuable lessons, though, so while there is every need for greater alertness, robust detection and treatment systems are in place. But diseases are ever-evolving and what applies today does not in the future - and in this regard, more has to be done to deal with another virus, dengue fever, which has infected tens of thousands of people in neighbouring Guangdong.

Dengue and a more dangerous complication, dengue haemorrhagic fever, are no less a health threat than the Ebola and Mers viruses. Unlike those diseases, they are transmitted by mosquitoes rather than through contact with people or animals. Six people in Guangdong among the more than 30,000 who have recently contracted it have died and the numbers of infections are swelling. Although there have been 70 reported cases in Hong Kong this year, none were contracted here; all were brought from elsewhere. Scientists believe that the risks will rise as climate change increases temperatures and rainfall.

The disease is rarely fatal, which is why it has drawn less international attention than Ebola or Mers, which have respective fatality rates of about 50 and 60 per cent. Outbreaks of Ebola in West Africa have been especially frightening, killing more than 4,000 people in a matter of months and crippling economies due to trade and travel freezes. There is particular concern now that there have been two known cases of transmission in Western countries, involving nurses in the US and Spain; they had been treating patients who had died after travelling from affected areas.

There is a high possibility of a person infected with Ebola or Mers appearing in our midst, as has happened in Europe and the US. Authorities are only too aware of that and have lifted preparedness levels. But while avoiding dengue also requires staying away from affected places, there is little the government can do locally other than spray for mosquitoes and clean up potential breeding areas. The onus is therefore largely on us to prevent mosquito bites by using repellent, wearing sensible clothing and avoiding stagnant water.

No effective vaccine is available. Anyone feeling unwell after travelling should promptly see a doctor. Authorities have an important role in detection and prevention, but ultimately disease control has to be a community effort.