Hong Kong has recorded its first locally acquired chikungunya fever case of 2026 after a 55-year-old woman living on Li Tak Street in Tai Kok Tsui was diagnosed with the virus. She was reported to be in a stable condition after treatment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
The woman developed a fever, headache and pain in her fingers and wrists on 7 September, followed by a rash on her face and body. She went to Queen Elizabeth Hospital on 16 September and was admitted the same day for treatment in a mosquito-free environment. Her blood sample tested positive for chikungunya virus at the Centre for Health Protection’s Public Health Laboratory Services Branch.
The Centre for Health Protection said she had not travelled during the incubation period, and classified the infection as locally acquired following its initial investigation. She spent most of that period at home and often moved around near her residence. She recalled being bitten by mosquitoes at home and near two nearby parks in the neighbourhood. The epidemiological investigation is continuing.
One household contact had no symptoms when the case was reported. The contact was receiving medical monitoring and health advice, with testing to be arranged if necessary. Including this case, Hong Kong had recorded three confirmed chikungunya cases in 2026: one local case and two imported cases.
The Centre said preventive measures were being carried out on the basis of its epidemiological investigation and risk assessment, while monitoring of the household contact continued.