Anti-mosquito meeting held

July 19, 2013

The Anti-Mosquito Steering Committee met today to discuss ways to boost mosquito prevention and control work after two Japanese encephalitis cases were confirmed in Hong Kong recently.
 
Representatives from various Government bureaus and departments attended the meeting and were introduced to the strengthened guidelines on anti-mosquito work prepared by the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department.
 
The department will convene meetings with inter-departmental task forces on anti-mosquito work to discuss measures to strengthen mosquito prevention and control at the district level.
 
The department has strengthened mosquito preventive and control work at pig farms and other locations where wading birds gather in the vicinity of Tin Yan Estate and Tin Heng Estate, where the two patients lived.
 
It has also undertaken work in scrubby areas at Tseung Kong Wai and Sha Kong Wai Tsai and in the woodland at Fung Kong Tsuen area, where the species of mosquito transmitting the disease Culex tritaeniorhynchus were found, as well as other areas within 2km of the two housing estates.
 
It has started a citywide thematic mosquito prevention and control operation, targeting areas of particular concern. Individual districts will intensify mosquito prevention and control work.
 
In light of the two cases, the department will study the collection of Culex tritaeniorhynchus samples in future rainy seasons for laboratory testing to ascertain whether they carry the virus and to help formulate future work direction.
 
Other concerned departments will likewise step up mosquito control and preventive measures, and enhance publicity and public education in their respective areas of work.
 
Chairperson of the committee, Permanent Secretary for Food & Health Marion Lai said all relevant Government departments will work together and stay vigilant in eliminating the potential breeding places of mosquitoes.
 
She added that the Government will closely monitor the effectiveness of the measures and make timely adjustment if necessary, to better control the mosquito problem and minimise the threat of the disease and other mosquito-transmitted diseases.