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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) urged the public to take preventive measures against mosquito-transmitted diseases following the confirmation of a case of Japanese encephalitis (JE) by laboratory test today (September 4).
A spokesman for CHP said that the 15-year-old boy, living in Kwai Chung, developed fever, headache, vomiting and neck rigidity on August 13 and was admitted to Yan Chai Hospital on August 15. He has recovered and was discharged on August 24.
Results of laboratory tests on his blood samples available today yielded a positive result for JE, a viral disease transmitted by the bite of infective mosquitoes. This is the second JE case reported in Hong Kong this year.
The patient joined a tour to Guizhou in the Mainland from July 23 to 29. CHP is contacting his travel companions. His three home contacts have not shown any symptoms of JE so far and have been put under medical surveillance. Further investigation is in progress.
There was one imported case in 2001, two imported cases in 2002, one local case in 2003 and five local cases in 2004. One local and one imported case were reported in 2005 and none in 2006.
The spokesman said JE is transmitted by Culex tritaeniorhychus (Culicine mosquitoes) which breed mainly in water-logged fields, marshes, ditches and small stable collections of water around cultivated fields. The mosquito becomes infected after bitting pigs and wild birds infected with the JE virus.
To prevent JE, members of the public in particular those living in rural areas is reminded to take the following personal protection, particularly after dark:
- Wear long sleeved clothes and trousers
- Use insect repellent over exposed parts of the body when outdoors
- Use mosquito screens or nets when the room is not air-conditioned
Travelers should take proper precautionary measures when traveling to endemic areas which include:
- avoid outdoor exposure to mosquito bites at dusk and dawn, especially in rural areas;
- apply effective insect repellents with DEET to exposed parts of their bodies.;
- consider vaccination which should be completed at least 10 days before departure going to endemic areas in Asia or Western Pacific and staying over one month particularly in rural areas bear higher risk
Details of the preventive measures against JE are available in the CHP's website (http://www.chp.gov.hk) and DH's Hong Kong Travel Health Service website (http://www.travelhealth.gov.hk).
Ends/Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Issued at HKT 20:54
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