Health Cases of imported dengue fever climb to 14

The Health Bureau (SSM) was notified yesterday of the diagnosis of an imported case of dengue fever in a 43-year-old male resident, who lives in Coloane and who travels daily to Hong Kong for business purposes.

The patient visited Thailand between August 17 and 22, according to information received by the SSM and published in a statement yesterday. After returning to Macau, the patient developed symptoms such as fever, muscle aches and joint pain on August 24. A day later, he presented himself to Kiang Wu Hospital Emergency Department, where he was subsequently diagnosed with type II dengue fever.

The patient is in a stable clinical state, according to the SSM statement.

This latest diagnosis is the 14th case of imported dengue fever in 2019, according to the local health authority. So far this year, five cases were imported from Cambodia, two from Malaysia, two from the Philippines, one from Singapore and four concerning Thailand.

The family with whom the patient lives has no similar symptoms. The SSM said it will conduct mosquito elimination works in the area that the patient lives.

The bureau also calls on residents to take preventive measures against mosquitoes, as they can transmit the fever to humans though their bite. It appeals to the public to eliminate stagnant water in their homes or places of work, thereby reducing the opportunity for mosquito and larval proliferation.

Moreover, the public should consider installing mosquito netting on windows, as well as turning on the air conditioning in order to reduce the likelihood of mosquito bites.

When traveling to destinations where outbreaks of dengue fever are known to occur, especially the countries of Southeast Asia and South Asia, the population is urged to wear long-
sleeved clothes of light colors.