The Anti-Mosquito Steering Committee has endorsed a three-pronged approach to contain the risk of Dengue fever in the coming wet season.

Committee members agreed to enhance anti-mosquito efforts in prevention and enforcement, publicity and surveillance programmes.

Government departments will reinforce efforts to eliminate mosquito-breeding grounds in public places and institutions, including parks, trails, rear lanes, construction sites, vacant Government land, cargo areas, landfill sites and other blackspots for stagnant water.

The total number of prosecutions against mosquito breeding last year fell to 258 cases from 387 cases in 2002. Of these, the number of prosecutions involving construction sites fell from 380 cases to 221 cases.

The committee will intensify promotion by producing a new public interest announcement on preventive measures.

Vector surveillance strengthened

Two additional steps will be taken to strengthen vector surveillance. The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department will activate the district inter-departmental anti-mosquito response mechanism once the Area Ovitrap Index reaches 20% instead of 30% as in the past. For areas over 20%, intensive on-the-spot inspections will be conducted followed by elimination of breeding sources and application of larvicides to potential breeding grounds that are non-removable.

Secondly, a Port Ovitrap Index has been introduced to indicate the overall situation of mosquito breeding in port areas. The index will be released monthly.

The committee noted there was one local and 48 imported Dengue cases last year and 10 imported cases have been reported up to the end of April this year.

Patients in most cases contracted the disease during travels to Southeast Asian countries.

The committee was pleased to see last year's Monthly Ovitrap Index, which reflects the activity of the Aedes albopictus mosquito in Hong Kong, was in general much lower than those of 2000-2002.

The index in the first quarter of this year, which stood at 0.57%, was also significantly lower than in the same period in 2000-2003, which was about 2%.

No room for complacency

Committee Chairman and Permanent Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Carrie Yau said: "We are glad the concerted effort of Government departments and the community in eliminating mosquito breeding places has borne fruit.

"However, we cannot be complacent. Given the intense population movement among Hong Kong and Southeast Asian countries, as well as the local prevalence of Dengue fever vector mosquitoes, Hong Kong remains vulnerable to an outbreak of the lethal disease.

"We have to stay alert and take every possible measure in preventing an upsurge of the disease, particularly with the wet season fast approaching.

"I call on the public to pay special attention to ridding larval habitats after torrential or prolonged rains as the post-rain period is a golden time for mosquito proliferation."