China confirms first Zika case; man infected travelled through Hong Kong
Man from Jiangxi province suffered fever, rash but symptoms abated
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 10 February, 2016, 9:36am
UPDATED : Wednesday, 10 February, 2016, 8:32pm
Agencies in Beijing
Li Jing and Peace Chiu
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can carry Zika virus. Photo: AFP
China confirmed its first imported case of Zika late on Tuesday, adding to fears over the fast-spreading virus that has been linked to severe birth defects mostly in Latin America.
The virus was diagnosed in a Chinese man, 34, who had returned from Venezuela on January 28. He had reported a fever, headache and dizziness, according to health officials quoted by Xinhua, the state news agency.
The Aedes Aegypti mosquito in an El Salvador lab. Photo: AFP
The man, from Ganxian county in Jiangxi (江西), was recovering, his body temperature was normal and his rash was fading, said the National Health and Family Planning Commission.
He works for a company in Dongguan, in Guangdong, and had travelled home via Hong Kong and Shenzhen. He has been quarantined in a Ganxian hospital since February 6.
Few cases of the virus have been reported in Asia, but the World Health Organisation has declared a global health emergency to combat its spread.
The virus is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito.
Dr Bernhard Schwartlander, the WHO representative in China, said given the volume of travel between China and South America, “imported cases of the Zika virus are to be expected”.
However, he said Chinese health authorities were “well prepared” and the current risk of a widespread outbreak in China was low, as winter was not the breeding time for mosquitoes.
“The mosquito which transmits Zika is the same mosquito which carries dengue and other diseases,” he said. “China has achieved great success in controlling mosquitoes in dengue-prone areas such as Guangdong, and is ready to build on that success in the context of Zika.”
The Port Health Office in Hong Kong said it had increased vigilance in maintaining environmental hygiene at the airport.
Hong Kong’s Department of Health said the patient had not left the airport, so it was a matter for the Port Health Office.
Shenzhen customs said it would intensify checks for Aedes mosquitoes in vehicles, luggage and containers, Xinhua reported.
Shenzhen control points are expected to see a surge of inbound travellers as residents return following the Lunar New Year holiday period.
As most infected people display only minor symptoms, there was a risk of the virus spreading to China through the ports, the Shenzhen Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau said. It said it had the technology to test for the virus, and would increase alerts to travellers.
The Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said the risk of the virus spreading was “extremely low”, as Jiangxi was not home to the Aedes mosquito, and temperatures in Guangdong were too low for it to be active.
The virus normally causes little more than a fever and rash. But in Latin America it has been linked to a surge in the number of babies born with microcephaly, a condition in which the brain fails to develop properly, causing an abnormally small head.
Twenty-six countries have confirmed cases of the virus, with dozens of Europeans and North Americans returning from Zika-affected areas testing positive.
Brazil has been hardest hit by the outbreak with more than 20,000 cases, including more than 2,000 pregnant women.
Yesterday, Australia confirmed the virus had been diagnosed in a pregnant woman in Queensland thought to have been infected overseas. It urged pregnant women to avoid areas hit by the virus.
Thailand and Indonesia have each reported only one case, but experts have warned some Asian nations are vulnerable to a Zika outbreak.
Health authorities believe Zika could infect up to four million people in Latin America and spread worldwide.
Agence France-Presse and Reuters
