China - Guangdong reports another imported Zika case - brings total confirmed Zika cases in China to nine

[Pathfinder]

Guangdong reports another imported Zika case

Xinhua, February 29, 2016

China's southern province of Guangdong reported a new Zika infection on Monday, according to local health authorities.

The patient, a 23-year-old man living in Enping City, which is administered by the city of Jiangmen, returned from Venezuela on Feb. 19, according to the Guangdong Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission. ' The man went to a local hospital after developing a rash on Friday. He was confirmed to have contracted the Zika virus on Monday, and is receiving treatment in a hospital.

He is now in stable condition, the commission said.
...

http://www.china.org.cn/china/2016-02/29/content_37900362.htm

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

China orders clean-up to prevent Zika outbreak

Feb 29,2016

BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Regions have been ordered to clean up public venues as the weather is becoming warmer, which means mosquito-born viruses, including Zika, and other infections may spread easier.

The focus should be on bus stations, ports, markets, residential communities and urban-rural border areas, according to Li Bin, head of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, at a meeting on Monday.
...
On Monday, south China's Guangdong reported a new Zika infection involving a 23-year-old man who returned from Venezuela on Feb. 19. He is now in a stable condition. His case brings the total confirmed Zika cases in China to nine.

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=321619

 

[Pathfinder]

CHP notified of ninth imported case of Zika Virus Infection in Mainland

29 February 2016

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) received notification today (February 29) of the ninth imported case of Zika Virus Infection in the Mainland from the National Health and Family Planning Commission and the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, and again urged the public, particularly pregnant women, those planning pregnancy and immunocompromised patients, to adopt strict anti-mosquito measures during travel.

According to the health authorities in the Mainland, the male patient aged 23 lives in Venezuela and arrived in Guangdong on February 19. He developed skin rash on February 26 and sought medical attention on the same day. The case was subsequently laboratory confirmed by the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province. At present, the male patient is hospitalised for isolation and management in Enping, Guangdong. He is now in stable condition. The patient did not pass through Hong Kong.

"Routine health surveillance on the body temperature of inbound travellers at all boundary control points is ongoing. Suspected cases will be referred to healthcare facilities for follow-up. However, at present, around 70 to 80 per cent of infected people are asymptomatic and most can recover fully. Therefore, we again urge those arriving from Zika-affected areas to apply insect repellent for 14 days upon arrival to reduce the risk of transmission," the spokesman for the DH said.

The DH has been closely working with the travel industry and stakeholders, especially agents operating tours in Zika-affected areas and personnel receiving travellers in those areas (particularly pregnant women), to regularly update them on the latest disease information and health advice.

As long as there is international travel, there is always a risk of introduction of Zika virus to Hong Kong. As asymptomatic infection is very common and the potential vector, Aedes albopictus, is present locally, there is also risk of local spread in case Zika is introduced to Hong Kong.
...

http://www.dh.gov.hk/english/press/2016/160229-3.html