Hong Kong logs first two imported dengue fever cases of the year

Hong Kong recorded two imported cases of dengue fever in the past week, marking the city’s first imported infections this year, with the patients having traveled to the Philippines and Vietnam during the incubation period.

Health authorities said the two cases were detected against a backdrop of rising global dengue activity. Hong Kong reported a total of 59 imported dengue cases last year.

According to the World Health Organization, dengue fever has become an increasingly serious global public health concern, with infections rising sharply over the past two decades. In 2024, more than 14 million cases were recorded worldwide, the highest figure on record. Between January and July 2025, over four million cases and more than 3,000 dengue-related deaths were reported across 97 countries and territories.

The disease remains prevalent in many of Hong Kong’s neighboring travel destinations. Indonesia, India, and Vietnam have each reported more than 100,000 cases in 2025, while Malaysia and Thailand have each recorded more than 40,000 cases. Singapore has also logged more than 4,000 cases during the same period.

In southern China, dengue activity has also intensified. Data from the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention showed that more than 3,500 locally infected cases were recorded in Guangdong Province in 2025. One local case was reported in Shantou in the week between December 22 and 28.

The Centre for Health Protection said detailed information on the latest dengue situation in Hong Kong, as well as in neighboring and overseas countries and regions, has been uploaded to its website for public reference.