Ho Yuk-yin, the department's consultant in charge of community medicine and risk assessment and communication, urged the public to stay alert for the threat of dengue fever. The indices collected last month reflect the prevalence of aedes albopictus, a mosquito vector for dengue fever transmission.

Ho revealed that the monthly ovitrap index for June was 16.8 percent, slightly lower than the 17.1 percent in May. "However, there should be no room for complacency as the situation may worsen quickly if not properly attended to," Ho said.

"The improvement achieved so far this year was due partly to the joint efforts put into the anti-mosquito campaign by both the community and the government," he said.

"As we are in the middle of the rainy season, there is still a chance that the figures may rise in the next couple of months," he warned.

"People should therefore continue to keep up their anti-mosquito efforts and follow the mosquito prevention measures recommended in the 'Weekly Mosquito Inspection Program' prepared by the department," he said.

These measures include scrubbing vases and pot plant saucers at least once a week, proper disposal of containers such as soft drink cans or lunch boxes, clearing air conditioner drip trays regularly to ensure they are free of stagnant water and drilling large holes in old tires.

Ho stressed that the government would spare no effort in implementing its anti-mosquito measures, including stepped-up inspection and enforcement action. Special task forces have already been set up in Cheung Chau and Tin Shui Wai in a bid to lower the ovitrap indices.

During the first six months of this year, the department treated 21,287 mosquito-breeding places, took out 150 prosecutions and issued 343 written warnings.

The department will deploy additional mosquito control teams to tackle mosquito breeding spots and potential breeding places at rear lanes, construction and vacant sites, hilly areas, streams, passenger and cargo handling areas, public cemeteries and common parts of tenement buildings in the next few months, Ho said.

(People's Daily July 11, 2003)