Hong Kong man working at West Kowloon rail terminus construction site becomes first to locally contract dengue fever this year
Members of the public with symptoms and who have been near site in question or patient’s home in Prince Edward urged to contact Centre for Health Protection
A 45-year-old man who worked at the construction site of the express rail link’s West Kowloon terminus has become the first person in the city this year to locally contract dengue fever.
The patient’s condition is stable, and the Centre for Health Protection is appealing for people who have developed symptoms of the mosquito-borne disease and have been in the vicinity of the construction site near Austin MTR station or Cedar Street in Prince Edward, where the man lives, to approach them.
The patient developed a high fever, chills, a headache and dizziness from July 29. He was sent to the emergency unit at Kwong Wah Hospital in Yau Ma Tei and admitted, before he started to develop skin rash on his legs.
He was discharged from the hospital on Monday after the symptoms subsided. His blood sample tested positive for dengue virus.
Hong Kong citizen scientists localise mosquito tracking app to let people report sightings of the disease carriers
The patient had no travel history in the incubation period. He recalled being frequently bitten by mosquitoes at his workplace and also being bitten near home.