Hong Kong reported its first locally acquired case of chikungunya fever on Sunday, involving an 82-year-old resident of Fung Tak Estate in Diamond Hill.
A 200-meter radius surrounding the patient's residence has been designated for investigation to identify any additional undetected cases. The area encompasses approximately 20 buildings and affects around 10,000 residents, all of whom may be at risk of infection from mosquito bites.
Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, the controller of the Centre of Health Protection(CHP) Edwin Tsui Lok-kin confirmed that the patient had not left Hong Kong during the incubation period, with her last overseas trip occurring at the end of August.
The patient reportedly developed symptoms including ankle joint pain and swelling on October 18, with the condition spreading to her hands by October 22.
After consulting private doctors, she was admitted to Kwong Wah Hospital on October 23, where her blood sample tested positive for the chikungunya virus.
Initial investigations indicate that the elderly woman primarily engaged in activities within Fung Tak Estate, including morning exercises, resting, grocery shopping at the market, and pick-up child from school.
Health official Albert Au Ka-wing stated that the source of infection is believed to be mosquitoes within the estate, as there are no connections to the previous 46 imported cases.
Au noted that the center has enhanced its monitoring system, which led to the discovery of this first local case, adding that an inter-departmental meeting has been held to discuss mosquito control measures.
Given the limited flight range of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, Au stated that a 200-meter radius around the patient's residence has been designated to trace other undetected cases.
The affected buildings include Fung Tak Estate, Fung Chuen Court, and Fung Lai Court, where health questionnaires will be distributed door-to-door to identify undetected cases.
Meanwhile, three schools in the area -- Rhenish Church Grace School, St. Bonaventure Catholic Primary School, and Assembly of God Morrison College -- will be monitored for symptomatic students when classes resume tomorrow.
The Center has also set up a medical station on the second floor of Fung Tak Shopping Centre, where doctors and nurses will provide assessment, examination, and referral services for residents showing symptoms.
Notably, residents are encouraged to contact the center's hotline at 2125 2373 if they experience related symptoms since October 1.
Jasper Chan Fuk-woo, Clinical Professor at the University of Hong Kong, explained that since July, Guangdong has reported ongoing cases of chikungunya, raising the risk of the virus being brought into Hong Kong due to frequent travel across the Greater Bay Area. If stagnant water accumulates in residential estates or nearby parks, it could foster mosquito breeding and become a major transmission route, he said.
As for the possibility of a community outbreak, Chan noted that the key lies in whether new local cases emerge and how they are distributed over the next two to four weeks.
However, he believes that with strengthened mosquito control measures by the government, the chances of successful containment remain high.
