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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (October 11) confirmed an imported case of Japanese encephalitis (JE) and reminded the public to take preventive measures against mosquito-transmitted diseases.
The case involved a 50-year-old man who lives and works in Xinhui on the Mainland, where he developed fever and vomiting on September 22 and consulted a doctor. He arrived in Hong Kong the following day (September 23) and was admitted to North District Hospital the same day. He was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit on September 24 due to fever, confusion and decreased general condition.
Results of laboratory analysis on his serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples tested positive for JE, a viral disease transmitted by the bite of infective mosquitoes. He is currently in a serious condition.
This is the third JE case reported to the CHP this year. In Hong Kong, one case was reported in 2011 while none were reported from 2008 to 2010.
A CHP spokesman explained that JE is transmitted by Culex tritaeniorhynchus (Culicine mosquitoes), which breed mainly in waterlogged fields, marshes, ditches and small, stable collections of water around cultivated fields. The mosquitoes become infected after biting pigs or wild birds infected with the virus.
Mild JE infections may occur without apparent symptoms other than fever with headache. Severe infections are marked by quick onset of headache, high fever, neck stiffness, impaired mental state, coma, tremors, occasional convulsions (especially in infants) and paralysis.
To prevent contracting JE, members of the public, particularly those living in rural areas, are reminded to take the following preventive measures, especially after dark:
* Wear long-sleeved clothing and trousers;
* Use insect repellents over exposed parts of the body when outdoors; and
* Use mosquito screens or nets when a room is not air-conditioned.
Travellers to areas where JE is endemic should take the following measures:
* Avoid outdoor exposure to mosquito bites at dusk and dawn, especially in rural areas;
* Apply effective insect repellents with DEET to exposed parts of the body; and
* Consider vaccination that should be completed at least ten days before departure to endemic areas in Asia or the Western Pacific, or staying over one month in areas, particularly rural, that bear higher risks.
For more information against JE, members of the public may visit the CHP's website (www.chp.gov.hk) and that of the Travel Health Service of the DH (www.travelhealth.gov.hk).
Ends/Thursday, October 11, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:35
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