Bug busters: Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Dr York Chow inspects anti-mosquito operations in Hang Hau Tsuen and Sha Kong Tsuen, Yuen Long.

Legislative amendments will soon be introduced to give more power to the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department to deal with the mosquito breeding problem.

Under the proposal, the department will be able to take necessary action where there is a mosquito-related health hazard - and to recover the associated costs. 

Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Dr York Chow made the announcement after inspecting the anti-mosquito operations in Hang Hau Tsuen and Sha Kong Tsuen, Yuen Long today.

Dr Chow also visited the six-year-old boy in Sha Kong Tsuen who contracted Japanese Encephalitis in October last year. He noted the boy is making progress in his recovery.

With the rainy season beginning soon, people should maintain good environmental hygiene and prevent mosquito breeding, Dr Chow stressed.

"Only when all relevant departments, related parties, district organisations and members of the public play their part and work in close partnership can we deal with the mosquito problem effectively, and hence minimise the threat of Dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis and other mosquito-transmitted diseases."

Steering committee reviews anti-mosquito efforts

The Anti-mosquito Steering Committee also met today to review government departments' anti-mosquito efforts.

It noted the interim findings of the one-year Japanese Encephalitis vectors' survey conducted by the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department since October, 2004.

Targeted at areas with pig farms and wetlands that attracted migratory birds, the survey found the presence of Culex tritaeniorhynchus in a number of northern locations, including  Luk Keng, Sha Tau Kok, Mai Po, and Shek Wu Wai. 

Culex tritaeniorhynchus breeding was also seen in Lam Tin, Tsuen Wan, Tsing Yi, Lau Fau Shan and Lantau Island. 

Among the mosquito specimens collected from mosquito traps set in 55 different venues, only one Culex tritaeniorhynchus sample collected from Yuen Long was found to be virus-positive.