Hong Kong health authorities have warned of a heightened risk of possible chikungunya fever transmissions in the city as more Asian travel destinations popular among residents have also recorded local cases of the mosquito-borne disease.

Director of Health Dr Ronald Lam Man-kin on Sunday also highlighted the challenges of preventing the disease from spreading, pointing to its “significantly” shorter incubation period in mosquitoes, which allowed the virus to replicate more quickly.

Lam’s warning came after the city recorded five confirmed chikungunya fever cases.

Following the city’s first imported chikungunya fever case in six years on August 2, four new cases were subsequently confirmed, concerning residents who had also been to Foshan in Guangdong province and Bangladesh.

“Many of Hong Kong’s popular travel destinations, especially in Asia, have seen local transmission. We have seen several imported cases over the past week,” Lam told a television programme on Sunday.

“The source of these cases is not limited to mainland China, but also includes other places like Bangladesh.”