Hong Kong confirms new monkeypox case, urges preventive measures
Hong Kong reports a new monkeypox case involving a 29-year-old man. Health authorities call for heightened vigilance, vaccination, and contact tracing to curb rising cases.
Hong Kong has confirmed a new case of monkeypox involving a 29-year-old man, who is currently in stable condition, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) announced on 10 October.
The patient developed papules on 28 September, followed by rashes on his limbs, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. On 8 October, he visited an outreach vaccination service jointly organised by the CHP and a non-governmental organisation, where staff noticed his symptoms. He was subsequently transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital for isolation and treatment. Clinical samples tested positive for the monkeypox virus.
According to information provided by the patient, he had engaged in high-risk sexual contact with a man in Hong Kong during the incubation period.
The CHP stated that, given a sharp increase in local monkeypox cases recently, it is implementing a multi-pronged approach to block transmission chains. It again urged individuals with high-risk sexual encounters to remain vigilant and take personal protective measures, including getting vaccinated against monkeypox promptly and avoiding high-risk sexual contact, to reduce infection risks.
The CHP also noted that over half of recent cases involved patients who used dating apps to seek anonymous sexual partners. In some instances, patients were unable to contact newly acquainted partners, hindering effective contact tracing and implementation of corresponding prevention measures. The centre strongly appealed to the public to retain contact details of sexual partners to facilitate contact tracing when necessary.