Chikungunya virus: China reports 7,000 cases

More than 7,000 cases of mosquito-borne virus have been reported in Guangdong Province, China since July, prompting measures similar to those taken during the pandemic on the 19th.

In the most severe city of Foshan, patients in Chikungunya must stay in the hospital, where beds can be protected with mosquito nets. They can only be discharged after the test is negative or the end of a week’s stay.

By bitten by an infected mosquito, the virus can cause fever and severe joint pain, which sometimes lasts for years.

Although rare in China, the Chitinian outbreak, which is very common in South Asia and parts of Africa, is common.

Infections have been reported in at least 12 other cities in southern Guangdong Province except Foshan. Last week alone, nearly 3,000 cases were reported.

On Monday, Hong Kong reported its first case – a 12-year-old boy suffered a fever, rash and joint pain after traveling to Foshan in July.

The virus is not contagious and only spreads when an infected person is bitten by a mosquito and then bites people again.

Officials said all reported cases have been mild so far, with 95% of patients discharged within seven days.

Nevertheless, these cases still cause some panic as the country is not widely known in the country.

“It’s scary. The consequences of a long time sound painful,” one user wrote on a Chinese social media platform.

The United States urges travelers to “add caution” after the outbreak.

Authorities across Guangdong Province have vowed to take “decisive and powerful measures” to stop the spread of the disease.

People with symptoms, such as fever, joint pain or rash, are being urged to visit the nearest hospital so that the virus can be tested.

Authorities have directed residents to remove stagnant water from their homes, such as in flower pots, coffee machines or spare bottles – and warn that fines are as high as $10,000 ($1,400) if they don’t.

They also released giant “elephant mosquitoes” that can swallow smaller chikungunya swelling bugs. There is also a group of fish that eat mosquitoes.

Last week, Foshan officials released 5,000 of the edible fish into the city’s lakes. In certain parts of the city, they even fly drones to detect stagnant water sources.

Some neighboring cities have ordered travelers to quarantine for 14 days from Foshan, but have since withdrawn.

Some compared these measures with those imposed during the pandemic and questioned their necessity.

Users on Weibo wrote: “These feelings are familiar…but are they really necessary?”

Another wrote: “What’s the point of quarantine? Isn’t that an infected patient and then bite someone else?”

China has imposed strict restrictions during the pandemic, including forcing people to enter quarantine camps and sealing residential buildings and the entire community for a short period of time, for days or even weeks.

Most people bitten by infected mosquitoes will experience Chikungunyan symptoms within three to seven days.

In addition to fever and joint pain, other symptoms include rash, headache, muscle pain and joint swelling.

In most cases, patients will feel better within a week. However, in severe cases, joint pain can last for months or even years.

People at risk for a more serious illness include newborns, older people, and people with underlying medical conditions such as heart disease or diabetes.

It is incurable, but deaths in Chitinia are rare.

The virus was first identified in Tanzania in 1952. Then spread to other countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.

To date, it has been reported in over 110 countries.

According to the World Health Organization, the best way to prevent the spread of the virus is to reduce stagnant pools that allow mosquitoes to reproduce.