Latest news with #EnvironmentAndEcology
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong to deploy robotic dogs to combat chikungunya amid rising imported cases
Hong Kong will deploy robotic dogs as part of its enhanced mosquito-control efforts to curb the chikungunya virus, as the number of imported cases is expected to rise, the environment chief has said. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan revealed the new measure on Saturday after the number of imported cases of the mosquito-borne disease increased to nine the previous day. He said the government was exploring the use of new technology, including trialling a robotic dog next month. It will be used to carry and spray mosquito insecticide in rugged areas that are difficult for control teams to access on foot. 'Starting from next month, we will conduct a trial using a robotic dog to spray insecticide on hillsides and other places that are difficult for control teams to access,' he told a radio programme. 'This initiative is aimed at reducing burden on frontline staff during hot weather. If the trial proves successful, more robotic dogs will be deployed and the government will continue to research other new mosquito-control methods.' Tse added that the government's current mosquito-control measures were similar to those used during previous dengue fever outbreaks, saying he was confident the Chikungunya situation could be contained.
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Fighting chikungunya in Hong Kong: why do experts reject mosquito ‘weaponising'?
Weaponising mosquitos against themselves to curb the spread of chikungunya fever in Hong Kong is not a sustainable solution due to the costs involved and questions about its effectiveness, experts have said, citing the experience of Singapore. Advertisement Specialists said on Wednesday that Hong Kong should instead strengthen its existing measures used to combat the spread of diseases through the deployment of additional monitoring sites and big data collection. They were responding to comments made on Tuesday by Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan, who said authorities planned to test biological control strategies deployed in the mainland Chinese city of Foshan, which is the epicentre of the current outbreak. Chikungunya fever is a viral disease transmitted by the Aedes mosquito. While rarely fatal, it can lead to symptoms such as fever, rash, and joint pain. The mainland's Guangdong province has recorded more than 8,000 new cases of chikungunya fever over the past three weeks, mostly in Foshan. Hong Kong, meanwhile, reported two new imported cases on Thursday, bringing the total to eight since August 2. Advertisement The latest cases involved a 50-year-old man and his eight-year-old daughter who had travelled to Bangladesh between July 20 and August 10.
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong experts reject mosquito ‘weaponising' as effective chikungunya control
Weaponising mosquitos against themselves to curb the spread of chikungunya fever in Hong Kong is not a sustainable solution due to the costs involved and questions about its effectiveness, experts have said, citing the experience of Singapore. Specialists said on Wednesday that Hong Kong should instead strengthen its existing measures used to combat the spread of diseases through the deployment of additional monitoring sites and big data collection. They were responding to comments made on Tuesday by Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan, who said authorities planned to test biological control strategies deployed in the mainland Chinese city of Foshan, which is the epicentre of the current outbreak. Chikungunya fever is a viral disease transmitted by the Aedes mosquito. While rarely fatal, it can lead to symptoms such as fever, rash, and joint pain. The mainland's Guangdong province has recorded more than 8,000 new cases of chikungunya fever over the past three weeks, mostly in Foshan. Hong Kong, meanwhile, reported two new imported cases on Thursday, bringing the total to eight since August 2. The latest cases involved a 50-year-old man and his eight-year-old daughter who had travelled to Bangladesh between July 20 and August 10.
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong authorities will ‘act first' to prevent chikungunya fever: minister
Hong Kong's hygiene officers will adopt an 'act first' approach by clearing stagnant water in unattended private places to tackle the threat of chikungunya fever, the city's environment minister has said. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan on Wednesday pledged to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds, even in places where responsibility for maintenance was unclear. 'This is a critical time for disease prevention. I believe the public is most concerned about private alleyways where no government department is clearly responsible,' Tse told a radio programme, a day after the city recorded its sixth imported case of chikungunya fever. 'If the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department sees stagnant water or a potential mosquito problem, but cannot find the person in charge as the management of private streets and buildings can sometimes be unclear, it will act first to clean it.' Tse referred to 'three-nil' buildings that have neither an owners' corporation nor a residents' organisation and do not employ a property management company. He added that other government departments were expected to adopt the same mindset, tackling issues as they arose and avoiding delays caused by jurisdictional disputes. 'We need everyone to work together on mosquito extermination. It would be inefficient if we were to divide the tasks among different departments,' Tse said.
South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong to look at mosquito-eat-mosquito strategy to tackle chikungunya fever
Hong Kong authorities will explore the use of a mosquito-eat-mosquito strategy deployed by the mainland Chinese city at the epicentre of a recent outbreak of chikungunya fever to control the disease's spread, with one more imported case recorded on Tuesday. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan told lawmakers at a special meeting on Tuesday that the government planned to test biological control strategies to curb the spread of the chikungunya virus in Hong Kong, which had recorded six imported cases since August 2. But he acknowledged that the government would have difficulty deploying these tech-driven methods immediately because they required time to develop. The latest case was recorded on Tuesday, involving a 31-year-old man who had stayed in Foshan, the Guangdong province city hit by an outbreak, between August 1 and 3. He returned to Hong Kong and developed a fever, rashes and joint pain on August 8. The next day, he visited Shenzhen and sought medical help there on August 10 but was not hospitalised.
