Hong Kong reported its first case of chikungunya in six years, heightening concerns about the potential for local transmission of the mosquito-borne virus that can cause debilitating joint pain lasting for years.
The patient is a 12-year-old boy who developed fever, rash and joint pain after traveling to Foshan in Guangdong Province in July, according to the city’s public health agency. Hong Kong’s health authorities believe the boy was infected there, and is now being treated in a mosquito-free environment with his household under medical surveillance.
The imported case is the city’s first chikungunya infection since 2019. Foshan, a city just 90 minutes away by high-speed train, has seen over 6,500 people affected in the past few weeks. The outbreak has prompted another Chinese city to set up curbs reminiscent of the stringent approach from the pandemic era.
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