Hong Kong will trial a “mosquito-to-control-mosquito” strategy next year, infecting male mosquitoes with bacteria to prevent their offspring from maturing, following the city’s first local dengue fever case in over a year. Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene Donald Ng Man-kit announced the plan on Sunday, saying the government would consider stepping up measures amid a rapid mosquito population rise this month.
Hong Kong will trial a “mosquito-to-control-mosquito” strategy next year, under which male mosquitoes are infected with bacteria to stop their offspring from reaching maturity. Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene Donald Ng Man-kit announced the plan on Sunday in a televised interview, stating it would reduce the overall mosquito population.
The move follows the city’s first locally acquired dengue fever case since 2024, reported last week. It involved a 21-year-old man bitten by mosquitoes near a road construction site in Penny’s Bay on Lantau Island. Authorities have since conducted mosquito control and preventive measures at the site and surrounding areas.
Ng Man-kit said the government would consider stepping up control measures with a lower threshold, as the mosquito population has risen more rapidly this month. The Asian tiger mosquito is among the key species targeted.
The strategy addresses heightened insect activity amid regional concerns, such as chikungunya fever cases in mainland China’s Foshan, though Hong Kong focuses on local prevention.