Health alert issued over chikungunya case in Foshan

Health authorities in Shunde district of Foshan, Guangdong province, urged relevant departments and residents on Tuesday to take concrete and practical measures to prevent and control the spread of chikungunya.

Their notice came after the district reported an imported chikungunya fever case on Tuesday, bringing the district's total number of chikungunya cases to 478 and potentially leading to a further outbreak.

According to a statement released by the district's health bureau on Tuesday, most of the chikungunya cases lie in its townships of Lecong, Beijiao, and Chencun.

Most of the chikungunya patients develop mild symptoms, the statement said.

Bai Honglian, director of the infectious disease department at the Foshan No 1 People's Hospital, said that this season's high temperatures and heavy rainfall have led to increased mosquito activity.

"We have entered a high-risk period for mosquito-borne infectious diseases, such as chikungunya and dengue fever," said Bai.

Residents should enhance their awareness of prevention and control, Bai said.

Chikungunya fever is an acute infectious disease caused by the chikungunya virus, transmitted through the bite of Aedes mosquitoes, commonly known as spotted mosquitoes, and can occur in people of all ages, she said.

After being infected with the virus, patients usually develop the symptoms within three to seven days, manifested as a fever, obvious joint pain, or rashes. They're often accompanied by muscle pain, headache, nausea, and fatigue.

Most patients have mild symptoms that can be cured in about a week. Severe and fatal cases are relatively rare.