Hong Kong health officials have confirmed a new case of chikungunya fever in a woman from Lam Tin, marking the 39th imported case of the mosquito-borne illness in the city this year.
The Centre for Health Protection announced that a 55-year-old woman, who traveled alone to Zhongshan in Guangdong on October 9 and 10, began experiencing joint pain on October 13, followed by a fever the next day.
She sought treatment at the Accident and Emergency Department of United Christian Hospital and was admitted on October 15 for care in a mosquito-free environment. Laboratory tests confirmed her blood sample tested positive for the chikungunya virus, and she is now in stable condition.
Her two household contacts are currently showing no symptoms but are under medical monitoring. As the woman was in Guangdong during the virus’s incubation period, the case has been classified as imported.
The Centre for Health Protection is continuing its investigation and has notified Guangdong’s health authorities about the case.
This year, all 39 confirmed chikungunya cases in Hong Kong have been linked to travel abroad, consistent with the pattern of one to 11 imported cases recorded annually from 2016 to 2019.
