Hong Kong releases October fourth batch of mosquito trap index
Hong Kong's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department published the fourth batch of October's Aedes albopictus mosquito trap index on 30 October 2026. The department urged public cooperation in mosquito control measures to reduce the risk of chikungunya fever, using 62 surveillance areas with fortni
Hong Kong's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) on Friday 30 October 2026 published the fourth batch of October's Aedes albopictus mosquito trap index. The department has been releasing updated surveillance data from individual monitoring areas since August 2025 through press releases, its website and social media, aiming to help the public respond more quickly to mosquito conditions and strengthen control efforts against chikungunya fever.
The FEHD said it continues to implement multiple mosquito prevention and control measures. These include cross-departmental coordination through special task force meetings involving relevant departments and stakeholders such as construction site contractors, schools and property management companies. The department also conducts precise risk assessments for areas with more severe mosquito problems, deploying intensive targeted strategies including enhanced inspections, removal of existing and potential breeding sites, application of larvicide, fogging to kill adult mosquitoes and installation of traps in suitable locations.
Publicity and education campaigns are carried out jointly with relevant departments and stakeholders, including exhibitions and distribution of leaflets and posters to raise public awareness. A rapid notification system alerts subscribed housing estates, reminding property management companies and residents to remain vigilant and implement mosquito prevention measures together.
The FEHD called for public participation, urging residents to take personal preventive steps. These include checking premises for containers holding water, removing standing water and fixing leaks, inspecting household items such as bins, flower pots, air-conditioner trays and clothes racks to prevent water accumulation, changing vase water and scrubbing the inside at least weekly, emptying water from plant pot saucers, covering all water storage containers properly, disposing of items that can hold water such as disposable food containers and empty cans, and scrubbing drains and open channels with alkaline detergent at least weekly to remove mosquito eggs.
Following World Health Organization recommendations and adapting to local conditions, the FEHD sets mosquito traps in areas that have experienced local mosquito-borne diseases and in densely populated locations including housing estates, hospitals and schools. The traps monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit chikungunya fever and dengue fever. The department currently operates traps in 62 community surveillance areas with a two-week monitoring period. During each monitoring cycle, traps are collected weekly. After the first week, the department examines the sticky plates for adult mosquitoes to calculate an initial trap index and density index. After the second week, it combines data from both weeks to calculate the district trap index and density index.