The Health Bureau (SSM) underlined yesterday there was still no indication that chikungunya community transmissions were occurring, Macau is still facing a high risk of recording new locally transmitted cases triggered by new imported cases, urging residents to continue to comply with mosquito prevention measures and the elimination of stagnant water.
Chan Choi Wan, who heads the bureau’s Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Division, made the remarks when attending a current affairs phone-in programme hosted by Ou Mun Tin Toi, the Chinese-language radio channel of public broadcaster TDM.
As of yesterday, Macau has recorded six imported cases of chikungunya fever and two locally transmitted cases so far this year.
The two locally transmitted cases of chikungunya fever were reported on Friday and Saturday last week.
A few days ago, the bureau launched a citywide awareness campaign for the city’s households to strengthen the elimination of stagnant water in the wake of the detection of the two locally transmitted cases.
Chikungunya fever is a mosquito-borne disease.
During yesterday’s programme, Chan noted that the two local cases of chikungunya are workers from a construction site in the Zone A land reclamation area, adding that the disease has not been spread to the community.
However, Chan warned that Guangdong province is still being affected by an outbreak of chikungunya fever. Therefore, Macau still has a high risk of recording new imported cases because of the frequent movement of people between Guangdong and Macau.
This photo released by the Health Bureau (SSM) on Tuesday shows a staff member briefing a resident on the elimination of stagnant water during a “door-to-door” visit to a household that day.
