People advised to guard against dengue fever, diarrhea and other diseases

The National Disease Control and Prevention Administration warned on Friday of heightened risks of dengue fever, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, diarrhea, and other vector-borne or intestinal infectious diseases during the summer months.

Xi Jingjing, spokeswoman for the administration, said during a news conference that increased population movement and hot, rainy weather of summer are expected to drive up the risk of several infectious diseases.

"With rising mosquito activity, the risk of local outbreaks of dengue fever is gradually rising in some southern provinces," she said, adding that tick-borne diseases such as severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome, which can trigger symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea, will also likely cause infection clusters in some regions.

Xi added that hand-foot-and-mouth disease, diarrhea and other intestinal infectious diseases are currently in peak season, while the levels of acute respiratory diseases like COVID-19 and influenza flu remain low.

Li Yan, chief physician at the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that dengue fever is endemic year-round in Southeast Asia and South America.

"Imported cases are reported in China every year and local epidemics occur in some southern provinces during summer and autumn," she said.

Li said that common symptoms include sudden fever, muscle and joint pain, rash and bleeding. While most cases are mild or asymptomatic, the elderly, pregnant women and those with chronic diseases are at high risk of progressing into severe cases, which can lead to heavy bleeding, shock, organ failure and even death.

To prevent infections, she suggested the public eliminate mosquito breeding sites by removing stagnant water around home, use mosquito nets while sleeping and apply insect repellents when visiting parks between April and November.

It is also important to stay informed about local disease outbreaks and take preventive measures when traveling to areas with high incidence of mosquito-borne diseases in Southeast Asia, South America and Africa, and seek medical attention if symptoms develop.

Xi Zhimiao contributed to the story.