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Alert: Hong Kong health experts fear first local dengue fever case of the year

Woman aged 60 in stable condition; she reported being bitten during a short visit to Guangzhou and in the botanical gardens in Central

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Open sewers like this are potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Photo: Dustin Shum

The Centre for Health Protection was investigating a confirmed case of dengue fever on Saturday, which doctors say might be the first locally acquired case of the year.

The patient, a 60 year-old woman, was diagnosed with the disease at a private hospital and is currently in a stable condition.

The patient lives on Caine Road and works in Central and visits the Zoological and Botanical Gardens regularly. She also recalled being bitten by a mosquito on a one-day visit to Guangzhou in July and at the botanical gardens, the Department of Health said in a statement.

“As the patient had both a travel history and local movement during the incubation period, it cannot be ruled out at this stage that the case was locally acquired,” a spokesman said.

“As a precautionary measure, we are working closely with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department to assess and prevent any possible spread of infection.”

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