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The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has reminded the public to sustain anti-mosquito efforts amid rising mosquito activities in some areas.
A department spokesman said today (November 10) that the monthly average ovitrap index for October had risen to 13.7%, from 8.3% in September.
The ovitrap indices reflect the prevalence of Aedes albopictus, a mosquito vector for dengue fever transmission.
Among the 38 areas surveyed, 37 of them recorded positive Area Ovitrap Indices (AOI), ranging from 1.9% to 37.9%.
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The index for port areas, however, had dropped from 2.8% in September to 0.8% in October.
The AOI of six areas had entered the alert zone of 20% to 40%. These six areas are Wong Tai Sin Central (37.9%), Lam Tin(23.6%), Tin Shui Wai (22.8%), Tseung Kwan O (22%), Sham Shui Po East (21.8%) and Happy Valley (20.4%).
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"The inter-departmental anti-mosquito response mechanism has been activated in these districts. Government departments concerned have strengthened inspections and stepped up efforts to enhance environmental hygiene and eliminate existing and potential mosquito breeding grounds," the spokesman said.
"The high ovitrap indices recorded might be due to the extraordinarily warm weather in October, which according to the Hong Kong Observatory, has been the warmest October since 1983. It has an average temperature of 26.4 degrees Celsius.
"Mosquitoes are most active at temperatures between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius," he said.
He appealed to people to take heed of the following anti-mosquito measures: 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.
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/Friday, November 10, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:03
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