Government and stakeholders progressively strengthen efforts to prevent chikungunya fever (with photos)
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According to the discussions at yesterday's meeting, the intensified mosquito prevention and control measures by the Government and stakeholders include: constantly updating the list of mosquito infestation hotspots to adjust and plan their work based on the actual situation, to ensure that mosquito prevention and control work is prompt and effective; carrying out a new round of actions promptly following Typhoon Wipha to thoroughly eliminate mosquito breeding places, supplemented by fogging operations (i.e. ultra-low volume spraying) to eradicate adult mosquitoes; continuing to take proactive anti-mosquito measures including clearing potential breeding grounds at least once a week during the rainy season and timely co-ordinate fogging operations until the season ends.
The FEHD is convening meetings of inter-departmental task forces on anti-mosquito work through its District Environmental Hygiene Offices to strengthen mosquito control work with district stakeholders, including to remove accumulated water and carry out mosquito prevention and control work in target areas that have drawn particular concern, such as public markets, cooked food centres and hawker bazaars, single-block buildings, streets and back lanes, common parts of buildings, village houses, construction sites, vacant sites and road works sites. The FEHD will also call on property managements to properly repairs their premises so as to minimise mosquito breeding places. Furthermore, regular ultra-low volume fogging operations have been conducted since the onset of the rainy season. The FEHD will continue to provide departments and the industry with professional advice and technical support to assist them in formulating and implementing effective anti-mosquito measures swiftly. At the same time, the FEHD will strengthen publicity and public education.
The survey area inspected today recorded gravidtrap indices reaching Level 3 alert level in May and June this year, indicating extensive distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. The FEHD has been collaborating with relevant departments and stakeholders to strengthen mosquito prevention and control work in areas under their purview, including eliminating mosquito breeding places, applying larvicides, conducting fogging operations to eradicate adult mosquitoes, and ensuring that mosquito trapping devices at appropriate locations are operating properly. The first-phase gravidtrap index for this survey area in July has dropped to 5.8 per cent.
Apart from the co-ordination mechanism at district level, the Environment and Ecology Bureau will also convene a meeting with stakeholders under the regular meeting mechanism for pest control. During the meeting, the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health will present the latest situation of chikungunya fever and responsive measures to be taken by the public. The 15 organisations or institutions participating in this mechanism include the Hong Kong Housing Society, Link, People's Place, the Hong Kong Property Services Alliance, the Hong Kong Association of Property Management Companies, the Federation of Hong Kong Property Management Industry, the Hong Kong Association of Property Services Agents, the Pest Control Personnel Association of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Pest Management Association, the Federation of Hong Kong, Kowloon, New Territories Hawker Associations, the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, the Association for Hong Kong Catering Services Management, the Association of Restaurant Managers, the Hong Kong Construction Association, and the Hong Kong General Building Contractors Association.
As the hot and rainy weather approaches, the overall risk of mosquito borne diseases may rise significantly. Recently, a considerable number of CF infection cases have been reported in neighbouring regions and some overseas countries. There is also a large number of citizens and tourists frequently travelling to and from Hong Kong and different places. If people infected with CF outside Hong Kong and is bitten by mosquitoes in Hong Kong during the infectious period, and subsequently the mosquitoes bite other people, local transmission may occur. In view of this, although there have been no CF cases in Hong Kong since 2020, the industry and the public must remain vigilant and intensify mosquito prevention and control efforts to avoid the risk of local cases.
The Government again appeals to members of the public to continue working with us to take early measures to prevent and eliminate mosquitoes at home and other venues early, including inspecting their homes and surroundings to remove potential breeding places, changing water in vases, scrubbing their inner surfaces, and emptying water fromsaucers under potted plants at least once a week, properly disposing of containers such as soft drink cans and food containers, and drilling large holes in unused tyres. The FEHD also advises members of the public and property management companies to keep drains free of blockage and level all defective ground surfaces to prevent the water accumulation. They should also scrub all drains and surface sewers with alkaline detergents at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.
Ends/Thursday, July 24, 2025
Issued at HKT 23:01
Issued at HKT 23:01
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