Hong Kong has recorded its first imported case of chikungunya fever in six years, with a 12-year-old boy catching the mosquito-borne disease.

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) on Saturday said the boy developed a rash, fever and joint pain after spending two weeks in Foshan, which has seen an outbreak.

The CHP said the boy reported engaging in outdoor activities while on the mainland and suffered mosquito bites.

After returning to Hong Kong on Wednesday, he spent most of his time at his home in On Tat Estate in Kwun Tong before being admitted to United Christian Hospital two days later, the centre said.

The boy is in a stable condition in hospital and his mother, who travelled with him, has shown no signs of the disease, said Dr Albert Au, who heads the CHP's communicable disease branch.

Au said chikungunya fever is unlikely to become endemic in the city and there is no need for people to be overly concerned.

“Chikungunya will definitely not be transmitted through human-to-human contact. Therefore, having normal social contact with a chikungunya fever patient is safe,” he said.

“The incubation period for the disease is typically three to eight days, meaning that symptoms will appear three to eight days after being bitten by mosquitoes. People should focus on preventing mosquito proliferation and bites rather than becoming overly worried.”

Au said severe symptoms of the disease are rare and most patients make a full recovery in a few days.

Meanwhile, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said it will carry out additional mosquito control work in areas of Hong Kong the boy has been to since his return from the mainland.

Mosquitoes can pick up the chikungunya virus from biting infected humans before potentially passing it on to other people.

Hong Kong last saw a chikungunya infection in 2019.

Almost 7,000 cases have been recorded in Foshan in recent weeks.