The Health Bureau (SSM) is urging residents to stay vigilant against dengue fever considering an increased presence by Aedes albopictus in Macau over recent weeks, indicated by its latest monitoring data and the fact that a number of Southeast Asian countries are being hard hit by the spread of the disease.
An SSM statement on Wednesday said that Macau’s monthly ovitrap index stood at 64.7 percent last month, higher than the 58.2 percent recorded in the same month last year and the average of 51.8 percent recorded in the same month over the past five years, indicating a currently extensive distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes (aka Asian tiger mosquitoes) across the city, the statement said.
In addition, the statement said, a number of Southeast Asian countries have recorded a large year-on-year increase in the number of dengue fever cases so far this year.
As of early this week, according to the SSM statement, 54,882 cases of dengue fever had been recorded in Malaysia this year, while 7,900 cases had been reported in Singapore, representing a year-on-year increase of 41 percent and over 100 percent compared to the same period of last year.
As of yesterday, two imported cases of dengue fever had been recorded in Macau this year.
Moreover, the statement said, Hong Kong and Guangzhou have each recorded a number of locally transmitted cases of dengue fever so far this year.
The statement underlined that stagnant water is likely to accumulate in outdoor containers because of the city’s relatively heavy rainfall over recent weeks, which, together with the currently hot weather, are conducive to the breeding of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.
As Macau is now in a high-risk season for the spread of dengue fever, the statement said, the city is facing a high risk of recording locally transmitted cases resulting from imported cases.
The statement said that the city’s level of risk of the spread of the disease is expected to further increase with the upcoming summer holiday period, when more residents were expected to travel to destinations outside Macau.
This poster downloaded from the website of Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection (CHP) yesterday explains proper use of insect repellents.
