Hong Kong Records First Local Case of Mosquito-Borne Virus

Pest control is sprayed to reduce the spread of chikungunya, in Hong Kong.

Photographer: Sawayasu Tsuji/Getty Images

Hong Kong recorded its first locally acquired case of chikungunya, the mosquito-borne virus that can cause debilitating joint pain lasting for years, heightening the risk of it spreading further in the city.

The patient is an 82-year-old woman living in Wong Tai Sin who developed ankle swelling and pain on Oct. 18, followed by fever and joint pain in her hands and feet a few days later, the city’s public health agency said in a statement on Sunday.