Dengue fever threat overshadows summer
Wet weather contributes to rise in mosquito activity as infections soar around the region
The Centre for Health Protection is on the alert for another mosquito-transmitted disease amid a Japanese encephalitis scare: dengue fever. Cases of dengue have risen as much as eightfold in Southeast Asia this year.
The centre's medical and health officer, Dr Wong Ka-man, warned the city to be ready for an outbreak as mosquito activity was on the rise.
"A hot and rainy climate has been ideal for the breeding of mosquitoes," Wong told the South China Morning Post.
Public fears grew last week after a second man contracted Japanese encephalitis, which usually spreads through mosquito bites. Both of those infected lived in Tin Shui Wai and are believed to have contracted the disease locally.
Wong said: "We should also be on the alert for dengue fever, as it is more active in Asia this year than last year."
So far this year there have been 39 confirmed cases of dengue fever in Hong Kong, all contracted outside the city.