The Health Bureau (SSM) last night announced one case each of imported malaria and dengue fever.
According to a statement by the bureau, the patient suffering from dengue fever is a 60-year-old female tourist from the Philippines, who had stayed near the Inner Harbour Ferry Terminal. The statement said that her condition is serious. The statement failed to mention the patient’s current location.
The SSM statement said the patient arrived in Macau on August 7, two days after the first dengue fever symptoms had appeared. After arriving, the patient felt exhausted and consulted a doctor on Saturday at the public Conde de Sao Januario Hospital Centre (CHCSJ).
According to Wikipedia, dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms typically begin three to 14 days after infection. This may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash. In rare cases, dengue fever can be fatal.
Meanwhile, the bureau said in a separate statement that a 56-year-old “African man from Congo” had been diagnosed with malaria before he arrived in Macau for business purposes on Friday.
The statement did not clarify whether the man is from the Republic of the Congo (RoC), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, or the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as Congo- Kinshasa.
According to the statement, the man consulted a doctor on Tuesday at the private Kiang Wu Hospital. This is the first reported case of malaria in Macau this year.
According to Wikipedia, malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease affecting humans and animals caused by parasitic protozoans (a group of single-celled microorganisms) belonging to the Plasmodium type. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, feeling tired, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases it can cause yellow skin, seizures, coma, or even death.
The Health Bureau urged residents to be cautious when visiting countries where malaria is endemic.
