https://www.scmp.com/rss/524356/feed Chikungunya fever is a mosquito-transmitted viral infection. Primary symptoms are fever and joint pain, but other symptoms can include headaches, muscle aches, joint swelling and rashes. Most symptoms clear up in a week, but the joint aches may last for months or years. The very young and elderly are most at risk from the illness. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Danny Mok Danny Mok Hong Kong authorities have closed hiking trails on Tsing Yi for large-scale mosquito control after five local cases of chikungunya fever were detected among recent visitors. The Centre for Health Protection said on Tuesday that the fact members of the public continued to be infected after visiting the Tsing Yi Nature Trails – despite a series of mosquito prevention and control operations over recent weeks – reflected that the risk of infection in the area remained. “Compared with urban settings,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3335795/hong-kong-shuts-tsing-yi-hiking-trails-amid-links-5-local-chikungunya-cases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3335795/hong-kong-shuts-tsing-yi-hiking-trails-amid-links-5-local-chikungunya-cases?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 11:55:00 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Hong Kong has recorded one additional locally acquired case of chikungunya fever involving a woman who went hiking in Tsing Yi, bringing the total number of confirmed local cases of the mosquito-borne disease this year to 10. The Centre for Health Protection said on Saturday that it had recorded a new local case as of 5pm, involving a 67-year-old woman living in Kwai Tsing district. According to the centre, a preliminary investigation found that the woman developed joint pain and a fever on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3335476/hong-kong-confirms-10th-locally-acquired-case-chikungunya-fever?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3335476/hong-kong-confirms-10th-locally-acquired-case-chikungunya-fever?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 15:07:57 +0000 Jiang Chuqin Jiang Chuqin Hong Kong’s fourth locally acquired chikungunya fever case resulted from a new source of infection unrelated to previous ones, health authorities have confirmed, urging those living in the same area as the patient to seek medical advice if they show symptoms. The Centre for Health Protection said on Wednesday that the source of the fourth case’s infection was genetically distinct from the previous imported and locally acquired cases. The fourth locally acquired case is a 68-year-old woman living... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3333448/hong-kongs-fourth-local-chikungunya-case-unrelated-past-3-health-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3333448/hong-kongs-fourth-local-chikungunya-case-unrelated-past-3-health-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 13:46:12 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu Hong Kong may have silent transmission chains of chikungunya fever in the community, a leading infectious disease expert has warned, as authorities are still unable to identify the source of the city’s fourth local case recorded last week. Dr Joseph Tsang Kay-yan, co-chairman of the Hong Kong Medical Association’s advisory committee on communicable diseases, said on Monday that authorities should step up mosquito control, noting that cooler weather and declining cases in neighbouring Guangdong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3333037/chikungunya-may-be-spreading-silently-hong-kong-experts-say-after-fourth-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3333037/chikungunya-may-be-spreading-silently-hong-kong-experts-say-after-fourth-case?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 04:08:21 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Hong Kong’s fourth locally acquired chikungunya fever case could have resulted from a new source of infection unrelated to previous ones, a leading medical expert has said, adding that heightened surveillance by authorities may uncover more patients. Professor Jasper Chan Fuk-woo of the University of Hong Kong’s microbiology department issued the warning on Friday, a day after a 68-year-old woman living in Shau Kei Wan was listed as the city’s fourth local case. “Based on the epidemiological... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3332842/hong-kongs-fourth-local-chikungunya-case-may-be-linked-new-infection-source?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3332842/hong-kongs-fourth-local-chikungunya-case-may-be-linked-new-infection-source?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 11:06:33 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong reported its third locally acquired chikungunya infection on Monday, with health authorities saying that there could be a second source of the disease as this case was not related to the two detected earlier. Authorities said they would conduct health assessments on about 1,500 households near the patient’s home in Tsing Yi, but believed the transmission risk was not high due to its early detection and weather conditions that were unfavourable to mosquito breeding. The Centre for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3331379/hong-kong-fears-new-source-third-locally-acquired-chikungunya-infection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3331379/hong-kong-fears-new-source-third-locally-acquired-chikungunya-infection?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Nov 2025 13:45:59 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing Hong Kong has confirmed its second locally acquired chikungunya fever infection, with the patient’s viral sample found to match that of the first domestic case. The Centre for Health Protection said on Friday that it had classified it as locally acquired after genome analysis found that the female patient, 55, shared the same source of infection as the first case, an 82-year-old woman who lives in Fung Tak Estate in Diamond Hill. “Based on the epidemiological information for both patients,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3331131/hong-kong-confirms-second-locally-acquired-case-chikungunya-fever?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3331131/hong-kong-confirms-second-locally-acquired-case-chikungunya-fever?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 15:40:04 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Hong Kong could face a higher risk of chikungunya fever spreading during the coming National Games as an outbreak across the border had yet to be brought under control, a leading infectious disease expert warned on Thursday, calling on the city to take preventive measures. Professor Jasper Chan Fuk-woo, of the University of Hong Kong’s department of microbiology, said that while the situation had improved compared with a peak in infections recorded earlier in mainland China, chikungunya... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330952/chikungunya-fever-risks-could-rise-during-national-games-hong-kong-expert-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330952/chikungunya-fever-risks-could-rise-during-national-games-hong-kong-expert-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Oct 2025 13:20:38 +0000 Connor Mycroft,Willa Wu Connor Mycroft,Willa Wu Hong Kong health authorities have identified 21 people showing mild symptoms of chikungunya fever who required blood tests, as the city’s leader pledged that his administration would go all out to prevent the viral disease from taking root locally. The Centre for Health Protection on Tuesday also said the source of infection in a 55-year-old woman confirmed with the mosquito-borne illness a day earlier was still under investigation, but a genome analysis was being conducted. The centre said it... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330674/hong-kong-leader-vows-nip-chikungunya-bud-21-show-symptoms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330674/hong-kong-leader-vows-nip-chikungunya-bud-21-show-symptoms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 14:51:36 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Until now the risk of Hongkongers catching chikungunya fever appeared remote unless they visited areas on the mainland or in Asia where they could be exposed to the disease-carrying Aedes mosquito. Every single case of infection reported in Hong Kong had been imported. Now the risk has grown with the infection of a Hong Kong woman who had not travelled outside the city for one and a half months – well outside the incubation window of two to 12 days. Hong Kong’s first-ever case of locally... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3330472/hong-kong-right-step-action-prevent-chikungunya-spread?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3330472/hong-kong-right-step-action-prevent-chikungunya-spread?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 23:15:11 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong is on high alert after the city logged its first locally acquired chikungunya infection on Sunday. An 82-year-old woman living in Fung Tak Estate in Diamond Hill, Wong Tai Sin district, tested positive for the virus despite having no recent travel history. City-wide anti-mosquito operations are now under way to prevent the spread of the chikungunya virus and health officers are reaching out to people living within a 200-metre radius of the patient’s home – considered the high-risk area... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330518/chikungunya-fever-hong-kong-how-stay-safe-and-keep-mosquitoes-bay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330518/chikungunya-fever-hong-kong-how-stay-safe-and-keep-mosquitoes-bay?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 13:40:56 +0000 Edith Lin,Emily Hung,Ambrose Li Edith Lin,Emily Hung,Ambrose Li Blood tests have been carried out on seven Hongkongers with symptoms of chikungunya fever after health workers screened around 1,300 people in a high-risk area linked to the first local infection of the mosquito-borne disease, authorities have said. The Centre for Health Protection, which urged residents with symptoms to seek medical advice, also reported three new infections – two imported and one from an unconfirmed source – on Monday evening, a day after Hong Kong recorded its first locally... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330445/no-chikungunya-cases-found-among-450-hongkongers-screened-after-first-local-infection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330445/no-chikungunya-cases-found-among-450-hongkongers-screened-after-first-local-infection?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 06:43:25 +0000 Leopold Chen,Emily Hung Leopold Chen,Emily Hung Hong Kong has recorded its first-ever locally acquired chikungunya fever case, with health authorities warning that the 10,000 people who live in the same neighbourhood as the 82-year-old patient face higher risks of infection. Authorities also announced on Sunday that citywide anti-mosquito work would be stepped up, especially around Fung Tak Estate in Diamond Hill, where the patient lived and was likely to have been bitten by virus-carrying insects. The patient developed pain in her ankle on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3330363/hong-kong-reports-first-local-chikungunya-fever-case-82-year-old-infected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3330363/hong-kong-reports-first-local-chikungunya-fever-case-82-year-old-infected?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 08:37:33 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong has recorded a new imported case of Chikungunya fever involving a woman who travelled to Foshan in Guangdong province, bringing the total to 13. Centre for Health Protection controller Edwin Tsui Lok-kin on Saturday urged schools to follow the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department’s anti-mosquito guidelines to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases on campus, with full-time teaching resuming next week. “Although the number of new Chikungunya fever cases in Foshan has... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3323773/hong-kong-confirms-13th-imported-chikungunya-fever-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3323773/hong-kong-confirms-13th-imported-chikungunya-fever-case?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Aug 2025 12:14:20 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu While the term “chikungunya” might have been unfamiliar to many in Hong Kong until the first imported case was reported in early August, news of the infection immediately brought me back to my own difficult and painful first encounter with the virus six years ago. Hong Kong has been seeing a growing number of imported cases of the mosquito-borne disease, with the latest one announced on Wednesday, bringing the year’s total so far to 12. The new case involved a 34-year-old man living in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3323403/searing-pain-fever-and-fear-hong-kong-reporters-chikungunya-ordeal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3323403/searing-pain-fever-and-fear-hong-kong-reporters-chikungunya-ordeal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 02:00:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US health authorities have suspended the licence for the Ixchiq vaccine against the chikungunya virus following reports of “serious adverse events”, the drug’s French maker said on Monday. Ixchiq is one of just two vaccines approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the mosquito-spread virus, which mainly occurs in tropical and subtropical regions but has recently been discovered in countries worldwide. French company Valneva obtained US approval for the vaccine in 2023, but... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3323079/chikungunya-vaccine-suspended-us-after-serious-side-effects-emerge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3323079/chikungunya-vaccine-suspended-us-after-serious-side-effects-emerge?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 10:11:09 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen The risk of importing the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus into Hong Kong is expected to rise, according to a senior health official, who has identified the increasing global prevalence of the disease to be caused by climate change and residents’ frequent summer travel as factors. But Ronald Lam Man-kin, director of the Department of Health, on Sunday sought to reassure the public that the risk of local transmission would remain low, as long as proper disease control measures were in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3322123/risk-importing-chikungunya-hong-kong-expected-rise-health-official?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3322123/risk-importing-chikungunya-hong-kong-expected-rise-health-official?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Aug 2025 06:08:37 +0000 Lisa Lim Lisa Lim Chikungunya is on everybody’s radar these days as cases increase significantly worldwide, including across Asia. “That which bends up” is what the virus’s name means in Kimakonde (also known as Makonde), a Bantu language of the Makonde ethnic group from southeast Tanzania and northern Mozambique, deriving from the verb kungunyala “to assume a contorted position”. The moniker makes reference to one of the hallmark symptoms of the disease: along with abrupt onset of high fever, headache, nausea,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3322034/how-mosquito-borne-viruses-chikungunya-dengue-and-zika-got-their-names?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3322034/how-mosquito-borne-viruses-chikungunya-dengue-and-zika-got-their-names?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Aug 2025 00:45:08 +0000 Cannix Yau,Fiona Sun Cannix Yau,Fiona Sun Hong Kong will deploy robotic dogs as part of its enhanced mosquito-control efforts to curb the chikungunya virus, as the number of imported cases is expected to rise, the environment chief has said. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan revealed the new measure on Saturday after the number of imported cases of the mosquito-borne disease increased to nine the previous day. He said the government was exploring the use of new technology, including trialling a robotic dog next month.... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3322086/hong-kong-deploy-robotic-dogs-combat-chikungunya-amid-rising-imported-cases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3322086/hong-kong-deploy-robotic-dogs-combat-chikungunya-amid-rising-imported-cases?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Aug 2025 06:56:12 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong recorded a new imported case of chikungunya fever on Friday, bringing the total to nine patients with the mosquito-borne disease. A Centre for Health Protection spokesman said that the latest case involved a 23-year-old man who had travelled to Foshan in Guangdong province on August 1. “He is now in a stable condition. His blood sample tested positive for the chikungunya fever virus upon laboratory testing,” the spokesman said on Friday evening. The man lives in a University of Science... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3322063/hong-kong-reports-new-imported-chikungunya-fever-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3322063/hong-kong-reports-new-imported-chikungunya-fever-case?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Aug 2025 15:25:22 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Weaponising mosquitos against themselves to curb the spread of chikungunya fever in Hong Kong is not a sustainable solution due to the costs involved and questions about its effectiveness, experts have said, citing the experience of Singapore. Specialists said on Wednesday that Hong Kong should instead strengthen its existing measures used to combat the spread of diseases through the deployment of additional monitoring sites and big data collection. They were responding to comments made on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3321767/hong-kong-experts-reject-mosquito-weaponising-effective-chikungunya-control?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3321767/hong-kong-experts-reject-mosquito-weaponising-effective-chikungunya-control?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Aug 2025 00:30:08 +0000 dpa dpa UK health officials have urged people to take precautions against mosquito bites while on holiday amid a rise in cases of chikungunya among travellers returning from abroad. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also detected the first cases of the emerging disease oropouche virus in the United Kingdom, all of which were linked to travel from Brazil. Chikungunya is a virus spread by mosquito bites, the symptoms of which include a sudden fever and joint pain. According to UKHSA, most people... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3321807/uk-warns-travellers-imported-chikungunya-cases-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3321807/uk-warns-travellers-imported-chikungunya-cases-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Aug 2025 04:57:23 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Hong Kong’s hygiene officers will adopt an “act first” approach by clearing stagnant water in unattended private places to tackle the threat of chikungunya fever, the city’s environment minister has said. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan on Wednesday pledged to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds, even in places where responsibility for maintenance was unclear. “This is a critical time for disease prevention. I believe the public is most concerned about private alleyways where... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3321673/hong-kong-authorities-will-act-first-prevent-chikungunya-fever-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3321673/hong-kong-authorities-will-act-first-prevent-chikungunya-fever-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 05:02:03 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Hong Kong authorities will explore the use of a mosquito-eat-mosquito strategy deployed by a mainland Chinese city at the epicentre of a recent outbreak of chikungunya fever to control the disease’s spread, with one more imported case recorded on Tuesday. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan told lawmakers at a special meeting on Tuesday that the government planned to test Foshan’s biological control strategies to curb the spread of the chikungunya virus in Hong Kong, which had... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3321620/hong-kong-look-mosquito-eat-mosquito-strategy-tackle-chikungunya-fever?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3321620/hong-kong-look-mosquito-eat-mosquito-strategy-tackle-chikungunya-fever?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Aug 2025 12:52:21 +0000 Elizabeth Cheung,Ambrose Li Elizabeth Cheung,Ambrose Li Hong Kong researchers are developing a rapid test for chikungunya fever that they hope will detect the mosquito-borne disease at an earlier stage, as part of the city’s efforts to harness technology to combat the public health risk. Ricky Chiu Yin-to, founder and CEO of biotechnology company Phase Scientific, said on Monday that his team was working to develop a rapid blood test that could yield results in 10 to 15 minutes. The product, which uses blood from a finger prick, aims to detect... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3321465/hong-kong-biotech-firm-races-develop-chikungunya-fever-test-early-detection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3321465/hong-kong-biotech-firm-races-develop-chikungunya-fever-test-early-detection?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 10:05:07 +0000 SCMP SCMP Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3) Leading expert Yuen Kwok-yung has said Hongkongers should stay alert against chikungunya fever. He warned that the mosquito-borne disease could cause prolonged joint pain. Yuen is chair of infectious diseases at the University of Hong Kong’s department of microbiology. He issued the warning following recent outbreaks in mainland China. Last month, the city recorded its first imported chikungunya fever case since 2019. Yuen said a potential outbreak in Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/posties/kids/eye-news/article/3319930/hong-kong-urged-brace-chikungunya-fever-amid-global-outbreaks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/posties/kids/eye-news/article/3319930/hong-kong-urged-brace-chikungunya-fever-amid-global-outbreaks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Aug 2025 23:15:07 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Health authorities have warned of a heightened risk of possible chikungunya fever transmissions in Hong Kong as more Asian travel destinations popular among residents have also recorded local cases of the mosquito-borne disease. Director of Health Dr Ronald Lam Man-kin on Sunday also highlighted the challenges of preventing the disease from spreading, pointing to its “significantly” shorter incubation period in mosquitoes, which allowed the virus to replicate more quickly. Lam’s warning came... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3321353/hongkongers-warned-elevated-chikungunya-fever-risk-cases-rise-across-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3321353/hongkongers-warned-elevated-chikungunya-fever-risk-cases-rise-across-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Aug 2025 06:44:19 +0000 Ng Kang-chung,Cannix Yau Ng Kang-chung,Cannix Yau Hong Kong’s No 2 official has urged the public not to panic over a possible outbreak of chikungunya fever, expressing confidence that infections can be contained with government workers stepping up mosquito control efforts. Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki made the appeal as Hong Kong reported five imported cases in a week, while Tuen Mun recorded high mosquito index levels that prompted authorities to speed up implementing pest control measures. “The public does not need to panic as all the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3321323/hong-kongs-no-2-official-urges-calm-over-fears-chikungunya-fever-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3321323/hong-kongs-no-2-official-urges-calm-over-fears-chikungunya-fever-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Aug 2025 11:43:21 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang When a drone’s camera picked up water buckets and potted plants on the balcony of a four-storey village house in Foshan – the city in Guangdong province at the centre of southern China’s chikungunya outbreak – local authorities acted quickly. An official visited the house but was denied entry, prompting the village’s Communist Party secretary to lead a task force to the building, knocking and shouting at the front door until the residents finally came downstairs. According to an article on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3321276/did-chinese-authorities-take-page-covid-19-playbook-chikungunya?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3321276/did-chinese-authorities-take-page-covid-19-playbook-chikungunya?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Aug 2025 02:00:18 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong reported a new imported chikungunya fever case and another probable patient on Friday, bringing the number of confirmed cases to five in a week. Health authorities said the latest confirmed case involved a 66-year-old woman with a chronic illness who lived in Kwai Tsing district. A preliminary investigation by the Centre for Health Protection found that the woman travelled alone to visit relatives in Foshan, Guangdong province, from July 24 to Tuesday this week. The patient could not... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3321280/hong-kong-reports-new-imported-chikungunya-fever-case-bringing-tally-5?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3321280/hong-kong-reports-new-imported-chikungunya-fever-case-bringing-tally-5?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Aug 2025 16:00:37 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng Experts in mosquito-borne infectious diseases are warning against excessive insect eradication campaigns as cities in southern China seek to eliminate mosquitoes in the fight against chikungunya fever. Guangdong province in southern China has been hit by a wave of chikungunya fever cases, with more than 7,000 people affected so far – marking the most severe outbreak since the disease was first detected in China nearly two decades ago. Chikungunya fever is a viral disease transmitted by the Aedes... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3321049/eliminating-mosquitoes-not-enough-fight-chinas-chikungunya-fever-outbreak-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3321049/eliminating-mosquitoes-not-enough-fight-chinas-chikungunya-fever-outbreak-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Aug 2025 08:03:17 +0000 Vivian Au,Lynn Zhang Vivian Au,Lynn Zhang Hong Kong is expected to experience an increase in imported chikungunya fever cases, a leading specialist has said, calling on the public to avoid travelling to high-risk areas after the city recorded three more infections. Dr Joseph Tsang Kay-yan, co-chairman of the Hong Kong Medical Association’s advisory committee on communicable diseases, issued the warning on Thursday, following several days of heavy downpours, which also raised concerns about an increased risk of local... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3321036/imported-chikungunya-cases-will-rise-steadily-hong-kong-leading-expert-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3321036/imported-chikungunya-cases-will-rise-steadily-hong-kong-leading-expert-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Aug 2025 04:00:37 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Mosquitoes have long been a fact of life in subtropical Hong Kong and the focus of intense efforts to control the insects and diseases they carry. Such measures have been stepped up again this week with the first imported case of chikungunya fever since 2019. Recent heavy rain will inevitably boost mosquito populations. The public must support the fight by avoiding insect bites and working to remove standing water where mosquitoes breed. The first case in Hong Kong was confirmed on August 2 with... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3320930/prevent-spread-chikungunya-public-awareness-critical?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3320930/prevent-spread-chikungunya-public-awareness-critical?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Aug 2025 23:15:10 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong confirmed three new cases of chikungunya fever on Wednesday, comprising a woman returning from Guangdong province’s Foshan and a father and son who had travelled to Bangladesh. The Centre for Health Protection on Wednesday said that it was investigating the three imported cases. Health authorities said the woman, 79, lived in Southern district and had visited the mainland Chinese city of Foshan from July 1 to 31 to see her relatives. The patient was unable to recall being bitten by a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3320994/hong-kong-confirms-3-new-imported-cases-chikungunya-fever?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3320994/hong-kong-confirms-3-new-imported-cases-chikungunya-fever?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Aug 2025 13:14:40 +0000 Elizabeth Cheung,Vivian Au Elizabeth Cheung,Vivian Au Hong Kong should step up efforts to fight mosquitoes after the city recorded its second-longest black rainstorm warning, experts have warned, with data showing the breeding of the pest that can transmit chikungunya fever is “fairly extensive” in 70 per cent of the city’s surveyed areas. A black rainstorm warning lasted 11 hours and 15 minutes on Tuesday, the second-longest on record in Hong Kong. Three days earlier, the city recorded its first imported chikungunya fever case, a mosquito-borne... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3320865/chikungunya-fever-hong-kong-urged-step-mosquito-control-after-rainstorm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3320865/chikungunya-fever-hong-kong-urged-step-mosquito-control-after-rainstorm?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 14:07:41 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang Sylvie Zhuang The southern city of Foshan has required real-name registration for medication to treat chikungunya fever, while two cities in southeastern China have asked travellers returning from affected areas to monitor their health for signs of the mosquito-borne illness. The market supervision bureau in Foshan, Guangdong province issued a public notice on Sunday asking all retail pharmacies to start real-name registration and to keep records when selling medications to treat symptoms of chikungunya,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3320793/chinese-city-orders-real-name-registration-chikungunya-fever-medication-amid-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3320793/chinese-city-orders-real-name-registration-chikungunya-fever-medication-amid-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 07:28:36 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Anti-mosquito measures remain the most effective way to combat chikungunya fever in Hong Kong, health authorities have said, as the vaccine is neither widely used worldwide nor approved locally. Dr Wong Hoi-kei, a senior medical and health officer from the Centre for Health Protection, also said on Monday that chikungunya fever was unlikely to become endemic in the city despite a medium to high risk of local transmission. “The vaccine for chikungunya fever is still relatively new and has not... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3320645/mosquito-control-key-preventing-chikungunya-hong-kong-vaccine-not-yet-approved?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3320645/mosquito-control-key-preventing-chikungunya-hong-kong-vaccine-not-yet-approved?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Aug 2025 05:04:06 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma The southern Chinese province of Guangdong reported thousands of new cases of chikungunya fever last week as the local authorities promised “decisive and forceful measures” to stop the spread of the disease. According to state broadcaster CCTV, Guangdong reported 2,892 new cases in the week leading up to Saturday, with no severe or fatal infections. Most of those – 2,770 – were in Foshan, with Guangzhou, the provicincial capital, recording 65 cases. At a meeting of the provincial government on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3320600/chinas-guangdong-province-pledges-decisive-mesasures-chikungunya-fever-cases-spread?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3320600/chinas-guangdong-province-pledges-decisive-mesasures-chikungunya-fever-cases-spread?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Aug 2025 12:35:44 +0000 Jiang Chuqin,Oscar Liu Jiang Chuqin,Oscar Liu Hong Kong authorities have strengthened mosquito control measures at a hospital and the neighbourhood where the city’s first imported case of chikungunya fever since 2019 was reported, with residents also taking extra steps. The Housing Authority and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department stepped up anti-mosquito efforts at Kwun Tong’s On Tat Estate and United Christian Hospital over the weekend. The measures include setting up more traps, applying larvicidal oil in breeding spots,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3320585/hong-kong-steps-mosquito-control-measures-after-chikungunya-fever-case-found?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3320585/hong-kong-steps-mosquito-control-measures-after-chikungunya-fever-case-found?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Aug 2025 07:58:16 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing Hong Kong has confirmed its first imported case of chikungunya fever since 2019, involving a 12-year-old boy, with health authorities urging residents to step up vigilance against the mosquito-borne disease. Should residents worry about a local outbreak? What protective measures should be taken? The Post breaks down the details for you. 1. What happened to the boy? The head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, Dr Albert Au Ka-wing, said the boy lived in Kwun... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3320556/how-can-you-protect-yourself-if-hong-kong-has-chikungunya-fever-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3320556/how-can-you-protect-yourself-if-hong-kong-has-chikungunya-fever-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Aug 2025 15:15:56 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Health authorities in Hong Kong have not ruled out the possibility of local chikungunya fever transmissions after the city recorded its first imported case of the mosquito-borne disease since 2019, involving a boy who returned from outbreak-hit Foshan in mainland China. The Centre for Health Protection confirmed the case on Saturday, weeks after a surge in infections was recorded in neighbouring Guangdong province. Albert Au Ka-wing, head of the centre’s communicable disease branch, said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3320533/hong-kong-confirms-first-imported-case-chikungunya-fever-2019?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3320533/hong-kong-confirms-first-imported-case-chikungunya-fever-2019?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Aug 2025 08:03:37 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen A senior Chinese official has visited the epicentre of the country’s chikungunya fever outbreak, as the number of cases of the mosquito-borne virus rises. Chinese Vice-Premier Liu Guozhong visited the southern city of Foshan in Guangdong province earlier in the week, urging authorities to “strictly implement port health quarantine measures”, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday. Liu told city authorities to “improve prevention and control measures”, “effectively eliminate mosquitoes” and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3320531/senior-chinese-official-urges-southern-city-stamp-out-chikungunya-spread-amid-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3320531/senior-chinese-official-urges-southern-city-stamp-out-chikungunya-spread-amid-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Aug 2025 08:00:22 +0000 Nora Mankel Nora Mankel The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has urged travellers to China to take “enhanced precautions” as the number of chikungunya infections rises in the country. By Sunday, more than 7,000 cases had been reported in mainland China since the start of July, with most of them in southern province of Guangdong. Foshan, the city hit hardest by the outbreak, confirmed more than 6,900 cases as of Thursday. All were mild and none were fatal, according to health authorities. The city... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3320351/what-you-should-know-about-chikungunya-fever-illness-surging-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3320351/what-you-should-know-about-chikungunya-fever-illness-surging-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:00:21 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Hongkongers should remain vigilant against chikungunya fever, leading expert Yuen Kwok-yung has said, stressing that the mosquito-borne disease could cause prolonged and severe joint pain due to weak immunity levels among the population. Yuen, chair of infectious diseases at the University of Hong Kong’s department of microbiology, issued the warning on Thursday following recent outbreaks in mainland China, including 3,000 cases reported in Guangdong province’s Foshan city. While the last... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3319373/stay-alert-chikungunya-fever-threat-leading-expert-tells-hongkongers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3319373/stay-alert-chikungunya-fever-threat-leading-expert-tells-hongkongers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 04:51:12 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai Authorities in south China’s Foshan city have launched a campaign to curb an outbreak of the mosquito-borne chikungunya fever. The disease, which is not common in Guangdong province, has also put neighbouring Hong Kong on alert. Local authorities in Foshan’s Shunde and Nanhai districts issued notices on Saturday urging all residents and communities to carry out indoor sanitation and outdoor clean-ups over the weekend as mosquito control measures. The outbreak originated from an imported case... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3318854/chikungunya-outbreak-south-china-city-spurs-action-stop-mosquito-borne-disease?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3318854/chikungunya-outbreak-south-china-city-spurs-action-stop-mosquito-borne-disease?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2025 09:03:10 +0000 Elizabeth Cheung Elizabeth Cheung Hong Kong is at risk of imported cases of a locally uncommon mosquito-borne disease after neighbouring Guangdong province recently experienced an outbreak, health authorities and experts have warned. Experts on Thursday discussed the possibility of an outbreak in the city just a day after the Centre for Health Protection urged the public to be vigilant against chikungunya fever, a mosquito-borne disease that can cause joint pain. Over the border, the number of confirmed cases in Shunde, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3318608/hong-kong-risk-imported-cases-mosquito-borne-chikungunya-fever-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3318608/hong-kong-risk-imported-cases-mosquito-borne-chikungunya-fever-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2025 10:00:28 +0000 AP AP Health officials are saying that for the first time, US mosquitoes are spreading a virus that has been tearing through the Caribbean. Two people in Florida have domestically acquired chikungunya infections, officials said on Thursday. In both cases, they said, a person infected with the virus after visiting the Caribbean was then bitten again by an uninfected mosquito in Florida, which then transmitted the illness further. Federal officials said it was an unfortunate milestone in the spread... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1556215/mosquitoes-spreading-chikungunya-virus-brought-home-us-travellers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1556215/mosquitoes-spreading-chikungunya-virus-brought-home-us-travellers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2014 16:19:19 +0000 AP AP A new mosquito-borne virus that causes high fever and intense joint pain is rapidly gaining a foothold in the Caribbean. There are currently more than 4,000 confirmed cases of the fast-spreading chikungunya virus, most in the French Caribbean islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe and St Martin. Another 31,000 suspected cases have been reported across the region of scattered islands. The often painful illness most commonly found in Asia and Africa was first detected in December in tiny St Martin. It... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1502707/chikungunya-virus-recently-spread-americas-gaining-foothold-caribbean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1502707/chikungunya-virus-recently-spread-americas-gaining-foothold-caribbean?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 May 2014 13:07:58 +0000