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The Interdepartmental Coordinating Committee on Mosquito-borne Diseases (ICC) today (November 4) convened a meeting to examine the latest situation of dengue fever (DF) and mosquito control actions.
"In view of an expected warmer upcoming winter under the El Nino phenomenon, the dengue activity might increase and hence the public should remain vigilant against DF. We are again concerned that if local transmission is established, a rapid surge of cases may be observed within a short period and the number of cases could reach tens of thousands. Strict environmental hygiene, mosquito control and personal protective measures remain the most effective means against DF both locally and during travel," the Chairman of the ICC and the Controller of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH), Dr Leung Ting-hung, said.
The meeting endorsed the enhancement of mosquito control actions during the winter months. Members of the public are reminded to make reports to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) via the hotline 1823 if breeding of mosquitoes is detected.
Excluding the latest case under investigation, to date, 97 DF cases had been confirmed this year, comprising one local case, 95 imported cases and one unclassified case. Of note, the number of cases recorded so far in 2015 is high when compared with the corresponding periods in the past decade, from 22 cases to 99 cases from 2005 to 2014.
The CHP has been closely monitoring the latest dengue situation in neighbouring and overseas areas, and the dengue activity in southern Taiwan remains high. According to the health authority of Taiwan, to date, 30 298 local cases of DF, including 141 deaths, have been recorded since this summer and nearly all (98.7 per cent) were in Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung in southern Taiwan.
In Guangdong, local cases have been recorded in Chaozhou, Zhongshan, Foshan, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Shantou, Shenzhen, Jieyang, Yangjiang, Jiangmen, Maoming and Yunfu. The first local case this year occurred around two months earlier than that in 2014. Regarding popular tourist attractions in Asia, 96 222 DF cases have been recorded in Malaysia so far this year, 102 761 in Thailand, 8 621 in Singapore and 251 in Japan. In the Americas, 1 416 179 were filed in Brazil and 139 966 in Mexico.
"Dengue viruses encompass four different serotypes. The symptoms of first infection with one serotype are usually mild, but subsequent infections with other serotypes even years afterward are more likely to result in severe dengue, also known as dengue haemorrhagic fever. Severe dengue is serious and potentially fatal. Without proper treatment, the case fatality rate of severe dengue can exceed 20 per cent," Dr Leung said.
Today, 17 government bureaux/departments or organisations attended the meeting. They are the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, the Architectural Services Department, the Civil Engineering and Development Department, the Drainage Services Department, the Education Bureau, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the Environmental Protection Department, the FEHD, the DH, the Highways Department, the Hospital Authority, the Housing Department, the Information Services Department, the Lands Department, the Social Welfare Department, the Transport Department and the Water Supplies Department.
Ends/Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Issued at HKT 16:24
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