HK records first case of dengue fever this year
發佈日期: 2026-04-26 19:48
TVB News
Hong Kong reported its first case of dengue fever this year, with Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene Donald Ng noting a surge in the number of mosquitoes in the city.
He added that authorities would consider strengthening mosquito control measures.
This as the government said it will begin its "mosquito-to-control-mosquito" strategy by the start of next year at the latest.
A higher risk of death has been noted among those who have been infected twice by the dengue virus, with cases of infection in Hong Kong primarily coming from mosquito bites.
Speaking on a TVB programme, Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene Donald Ng noted a rapid increase in mosquitoes in the city over the course of this month.
Ng said temperatures this month on average have been warmer compared with the same period last year, adding that since May, gravidtraps -- devices used for capturing mosquitoes -- have also seen a surge in mosquitoes being caught.
He believes the figure will continue to go on an upward trajectory as local temperatures keep rising.
When asked whether authorities will step up mosquito control measures, Ng noted that the government will strengthen anti-mosquito measures whenever a district's Area Gravidtrap Index exceeds 10 percent, but stressed they will assess the need to further lower the threshold.
Besides such traditional methods, authorities are also developing a new "mosquito-to-control-mosquito" strategy.
The scheme involves infecting male mosquitoes with a special bacterium before releasing them for mating, which results in their offspring failing to reach maturity.
The head of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said the strategy could be in force as early as this year and by the start of next year at the latest.
This as Ng said preliminary work on the scheme has ensued between mainland and local research organisations.
