Hong Kong Confirms First Local Chikungunya Case of 2026 in Tai Kok Tsui
HK01 · 6 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
The Centre for Health Protection confirmed on September 17 that a 55-year-old woman residing on Li Tak Street in Tai Kok Tsui has become Hong Kong's first locally acquired chikungunya case of 2026. She developed symptoms including fever, headache, pain in her fingers and wrists, followed by a rash on her face and body, and sought treatment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on September 16. She was admitted for care in a mosquito-free environment and her condition is stable. Laboratory testing by the Centre's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch confirmed a positive result for chikungunya virus. Since the patient had no travel history during the incubation period from August 26 to September 5, health authorities have classified this as a local transmission case .
Key Points
- The patient spent most of the incubation period at home and frequently moved around nearby areas, recalling mosquito bites at her residence on Li Tak Street, as well as at Cherry Street Park and Lok Kwan Street Park
- One household contact has been identified and is currently asymptomatic; health officials have provided medical surveillance and may arrange testing if necessary
- The Centre, together with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, has conducted inspections, vector surveys, and anti-mosquito measures in the patient's neighbourhood
- A hotline (2125 2373) has been established, operating until 8pm today and from 9am to 6pm thereafter; a health station opens tomorrow at Tai Kok Tsui Municipal Services Building
- Including this case, Hong Kong has recorded three chikungunya cases this year—one local and two imported—compared to 82 total cases last year including 11 local infections