Public awareness campaign spurred by encephalitis
With last year's spike in Japanese encephalitis cases in mind, the government has launched an attack on the mosquitoes that spread the deadly disease.
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department consultant Ho Yuk-yin told yesterday's launch of the new anti-mosquito drive it was important to avoid practices that encouraged the breeding of the Culex mosquito, which spreads Japanese encephalitis, and the Anopheles mosquito, which spreads potentially fatal dengue fever.
There were five cases of Japanese encephalitis in Hong Kong last year, the largest number on record, with one death.
The virus causes inflammation of the brain, which can result in paralysis, seizures and coma.
It is also carried by pigs and wild birds but mosquitoes are the primary source.
'There are certain areas of Hong Kong, mostly in the New Territories, which are believed to be high risk because they not only have the mosquito but also pig farms and migratory birds,' Dr Ho said.
