Guangdong officials describe the outbreak situation as “complex and severe” due to weather and international traffic.
Cases of chikungunya fever are increasing rapidly in southern China, prompting local authorities to implement vigorous measures to contain the virus’s spread.
Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease primarily found in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. It is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected Aedes mosquitoes. The illness typically causes fever and severe joint pain, symptoms that can last for an extended period but rarely result in death. Because its symptoms overlap with other mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and Zika, detecting and quantifying outbreaks can be challenging. Currently, two vaccines have been approved in some countries, though they are not widely available, and treatment mainly focuses on symptom relief with medications like paracetamol.
The outbreak in China has been most severe in the southern province of Guangdong. According to the China Association for Science and Technology, more than 7,700 infections have been reported in recent weeks. The industrial city of Foshan has been the hardest hit, with 2,770 new cases confirmed between July 27 and August 2, according to the provincial disease control office. Infections have also been recorded in Guangzhou and, for the first time, Hong Kong reported a case on August 3.
Chief expert Kang Min stated, “the rapid rise of the epidemic has been preliminarily curbed” in Guangdong, but he cautioned officials still face “complex and severe challenges” due to risks of imported cases given the region’s status as an international trade hub, as well as favorable mosquito breeding conditions during the rainy and typhoon season.
Guangdong officials have vowed to “go all out to win the… war of annihilation against the epidemic.” Their strategy emphasizes community mobilization to eradicate mosquito breeding grounds by removing stagnant water sources such as pots, cans, and unblocked drainage. In Foshan’s Shunde district, hospitals are isolating chikungunya patients in mosquito-netted wards, according to footage from state news agency Xinhua.
More aggressive interventions are unfolding as well. The New York Times reported some infected individuals in Foshan were compelled to be hospitalized, and authorities entered homes without consent to inspect for standing water. State media have released images of personnel in protective gear spraying insecticides in public areas and overgrown spaces where mosquitoes might thrive.
Businesses face fines up to 1,000 yuan ($140) for inadequate mosquito control measures, and some residents in Foshan have reportedly had power cut off for non-compliance with control orders.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a travel advisory urging increased caution for those visiting the affected regions in China.
Though some measures echo those used during the Covid-19 pandemic, experts highlight key differences. Chikungunya is transmitted by mosquitoes, not person-to-person contact, and is seldom fatal. Chinese officials stress the disease is “preventable, controllable and treatable,” and the World Health Organization has not issued special guidance on the outbreak.
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