Dengue fever infections are continuing to rise in Macao, with the authorities announcing the city’s seventh locally transmitted case of the virus yesterday.
According to a statement issued by the Health Bureau, the latest case involves a 74-year-old female retiree who lives on Rua do Patane. On 2 November, she sought medical attention for a fever. She was hospitalised at Kiang Wu hospital on 4 November after suffering from muscle pains. The following day, blood testing revealed that the woman had been infected with type 2 dengue fever.
The Health Bureau stated that the woman had no travel history over the past two weeks. The department also said that the case is not connected with the recent cluster in nearby Rua do Tarrafeiro.
The newest case comes only a day after the fourth and fifth cases were reported on Tuesday. A sixth case was added as well, after the Health Bureau redesignated an imported case of the virus as a local one in light of additional information.
[See more: Two more locally transmitted cases of dengue fever reported at Rua do Tarrafeiro]
Currently, the woman identified as the seventh case is in a stable condition. None of her family members who live in the same household exhibit any symptoms of the disease, which is spread through the bite of an infected Aedes albopictus mosquito. Symptomatic cases of dengue fever typically manifest itself in the form of headaches, nausea and fever.
In order to prevent the further spread of the virus, the authorities intend to dispatch staff members to the surrounding area to conduct checks and carry out mosquito control measures.
Following the recent outbreak on Rua do Tarrafeiro, the Health Bureau began implementing preventive measures in the area, which included visiting roughly 2,500 households for checks and distributing educational material to 1,900 households on 4 and 5 November.
Dengue can be an issue in Macao, as its subtropical climate makes it an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes. The government is urging the public to help control the spread of the disease by taking measures such as using mosquito nets, draining stagnant water (where mosquitoes like to breed) and applying mosquito repellent.
