Wan Chai North on Hong Kong Island has seen a surge in ovitrap index figures measuring the presence of Aedese mosquitoes which can carry dengue fever and the Zika virus.
Wan Chai North recorded a reading of 10.9% in the first week of September, up from only 2.7% in August, Oriental Daily reported, citing figures released by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department on Wednesday.
The department checked for the presence of larvae or eggs of Aedes albopictus in 57 areas across the city. The preliminary index released to the public on Wednesday only covered five areas. Besides Wan Chai North, four other districts whose figures were released were Tai Wai and Ma On Shan in the New Territories, Chai Wan West and North Point on Hong Kong Island.
The hardest hit district is Tai Wai with a reading of 11.5%.
As the five districts’ readings remain below 20%, the infestation of the Aedes mosquito is only slightly more extensive in the areas surveyed, meaning that no special measures are required.
So far this year, 98 cases of dengue fever have been recorded in Hong Kong.
Since August, 29 cases of dengue fever have been diagnosed. All of the people involved had either been near Lion Rock Country Park in Kowloon’s Wong Tai Sin or on the island of Cheung Chau.
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