Public urged to avoid Tsing Yi Nature Trails as six chikungunya cases confirmed

Hong Kong health officials urged the public to avoid the Tsing Yi Nature Trails after another local case of chikungunya virus was confirmed.

The patient, a 40-year-old man from Tuen Mun, reported being bitten by mosquitoes while hiking in Tsing Yi Nature Trails with 11 companions on November 30. Authorities said no overlap was found between his activities during the incubation period and those of earlier patients, making the trails the likely source of infection.

Five other local cases linked to the trails were previously confirmed.

Communicable Disease Branch Head Albert Au Ka-wing said there is no sign of a major outbreak, but the trails have been closed for a large-scale inspection and mosquito eradication efforts were expected to last seven to 10 days.

Au urged visitors to monitor their health, noting the virus incubation period can extend up to 12 days, and to inform doctors of their travel history.

He added that the Aedes albopictus mosquito, or the Asian tiger mosquito, which spreads the virus, typically flies only about 100 meters from their breeding site, lowering the risk of transmission to urban areas.

Zhang Wenhong, director of China’s National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, praised Hong Kong’s intensified mosquito control efforts since outbreaks emerged overseas, saying the city has prevented escalation.