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¡@¡@ The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has reminded people to stay alert to the potential hazards of mosquito-transmitted diseases - dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis (JE) -in view of the current rainy season favourable for mosquito breeding.
¡@¡@ The department's Consultant (Community Medicine), Dr Ho Yuk-yin, said today (June 26) the surveillance programme on prevalence of Aedes albopictus, a mosquito vector for dengue fever transmission, found that 14 out of the first 16 areas surveyed returned with positive Area Ovitrap Index (AOI) in June. Of them, Diamond Hill(39.1%) had fallen into the alert zone of 20% to 40%.
¡@¡@ "The inter-departmental anti-mosquito response mechanism has been activated in this district. Government departments concerned have strengthened inspections and stepped up efforts to enhance environmental hygiene conditions and eliminate existing and potential mosquito-breeding grounds," he said.
¡@¡@ There were three areas with AOI over 10%. They were Happy Valley (18.9%), Tsim Sha Tsui (10.7%) and Wan Chai North (10.4%). Indices for the remaining 10 areas ranged from 3.8% to 9.8%.
¡@¡@ "It is anticipated that, on the whole, indices for the other 22 areas, where results of the survey are still pending, may be higher than those of May," he said.
¡@¡@ Dr Ho said the ovitrap indices could increase further in the coming months. He appealed to the public to step up anti-mosquito measures promptly.
¡@¡@ Dr Ho also noted that 14 imported cases of dengue fever had been reported so far this year, compared with eight cases during the same period last year.
¡@¡@ "We are highly vulnerable to dengue fever, given the intense population movement between Hong Kong and other Southeast Asian places," he said.
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¡@¡@ On anti-mosquito measures, Dr Ho advised people to take heed of the following: inspect their homes and surroundings weekly to remove potential breeding grounds; scrub vases and pot plant saucers at least once a week; properly dispose of containers such as soft drink cans and lunch boxes; clear drains and surface channels to prevent blockage; remove stagnant water; fill up all defective ground surfaces and drill large holes in unused tyres.
¡@¡@ During the summer holidays, travellers coming back from areas in Southeast Asia infected by mosquito-transmitted diseases are advised to seek medical advice as soon as possible if they have symptoms including high fever, severe headache or muscle and joint pain, and they should inform the doctor of their travel history.
¡@¡@ On preventive measures against JE vector, Culex tritaeniorhynchus, Dr Ho advised that the following measures should be taken, especially in the rural areas:
* Wear long-sleeved clothes and trousers when staying outdoors after dusk;
* Use insect repellent on exposed parts of the body;
* Use mosquito screens or nets when the room is not air-conditioned; and
* Ensure continuous water flow of water-logged fields by installing devices such as water pumps/ water gates and removing stagnant water regularly.
¡@ ¡@The ovitrap indices and information on anti-mosquito measures are available on the department's website (www.fehd.gov.hk) and through its hotline at 2868 0000.
¡@¡@People can also obtain information and health advice on dengue fever from the website (www.chp.gov.hk) of the Department of Health's Centre for Health Protection and its hotline at 2833 0111.
Ends/Monday, June 26, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:40
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