Macau recorded this year’s sixth imported case of dengue fever, the Health Bureau (SSM) announced in a statement yesterday.
According to the statement, the patient is a 34-year-old local woman who lives alone in a flat in the luxury La Marina residential estate on the peninsula’s north-eastern coast, i.e., an area in the densely populated Areia Preta district. Her workplace is located near Avenida da Amizade in Zape, the statement said.
The woman travelled to Guangzhou, the capital of the neighbouring province of Guangdong, alone on September 30 and returned to Macau on October 4, the statement said.
According to the statement, the patient came down with a fever, headache and muscle pain on Tuesday last week, before seeking treatment for her symptoms at the private Kiang Wu Hospital two days later.
In addition to her symptoms persisting, the statement said, the woman also came down with a rash on her legs and feet on Friday, because of which she then sought treatment again at Kiang Wu Hospital where she had her sample collected for a test. She was diagnosed with Grade II dengue fever by the Health Bureau’s Public Health Laboratory on Saturday, the statement said.
Yesterday’s statement said that the woman was in a stable condition, adding that she was resting at home.
According to the statement, the patient has told the Health Bureau that after coming down with the symptoms, she had not left her home except for when she went to work or sought treatment.
However, the statement said, the woman’s husband in Guangzhou has also been diagnosed with dengue fever there.
The statement underlined that the Macau Health Bureau has classified the woman’s case as an imported case of dengue fever after considering her travel history and the time of the onset of her symptoms, as well as its laboratory test results.
The Health Bureau has carried out measures to eradicate mosquitoes in the areas around the patient’s home and workplace.
Dengue viruses are spread to humans through the bites of infected Aedes species mosquitoes.
