Guangdong ramps up efforts to stem spread of Chikungunya outbreak

Authorities in Guangdong province are ramping up prevention and control measures to swiftly cut off the transmission chain of Chikungunya fever, officials said.

"We need to focus on key areas and launch a thorough battle to eradicate the disease," Wang Weizhong, governor of Guangdong, said during a conference on epidemic prevention and control in Foshan on Wednesday.

As of Tuesday, 2,934 cases of Chikungunya fever had been reported in the Shunde district of Foshan, the hardest-hit area, marking an increase of 463 cases from the previous day, according to local health authorities. Most cases are concentrated in Lecong, Beijiao and Chencun townships, and have been mild, officials said.

The outbreak began in early July after health authorities in Shunde identified an imported case, prompting immediate intervention.

Wang urged intensified environmental sanitation efforts to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds in narrow streets, alleys, around homes and at garbage transfer stations. He also called for uniform mosquito control in schools, markets, bus stations, hotels, construction sites and other densely populated areas.

Households have been encouraged to empty containers and eliminate stagnant water to aid mosquito control efforts.

Wang said medical resources should be coordinated to prioritize patient treatment, and more measures should be taken to comprehensively prevent multiple diseases, including dengue fever.

Chikungunya is caused by the Chikungunya virus, or CHIKV, which is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. Symptoms include fever and joint pain. The World Health Organization says large outbreaks and sporadic cases have been reported in more than 110 countries and regions across the Americas, Asia and Africa, with occasional smaller outbreaks in Europe.

"It is necessary to strengthen regional cooperation, form a united front in disease prevention and control, and make every effort to promptly extinguish the epidemic locally while preventing its spread and importation," Sun Yang, deputy director of the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, said at the conference.

A 61-year-old man in Macao, who visited relatives in Shunde from July 8 to 17, was diagnosed with chikungunya on Friday after showing symptoms of fever, headache and muscle pain a day earlier on the Chinese mainland. Based on his travel history and lab results, he was diagnosed as the first imported case in Macao this year.

Hong Kong has not recorded any confirmed cases so far this year and will cooperate with Guangdong and Macao on joint prevention and control efforts, according to media reports.

"As the Chikungunya fever situation in Guangdong remains quite severe, it is crucial to enhance monitoring and early warning, improve testing capabilities and strictly implement mosquito control measures to maintain safe mosquito density levels," Sun said.

Chikungunya fever is preventable, controllable and treatable, as it is mainly spread through mosquito bites and there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission, said Duan Leilei, a researcher with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, during a press conference in Beijing Wednesday.

"In areas with outbreaks of Chikungunya fever, mosquito control measures should be promptly implemented to reduce mosquito density," Duan said.

Duan recommended that the public take personal protective measures, including wearing light-colored, long-sleeved clothing during daytime outdoor activities, using mosquito repellent and avoiding prolonged stays in mosquito-infested areas such as shaded spots and dense vegetation.

Individuals with high fever, severe joint pain and rashes, especially those with a history of mosquito bites or travel to affected areas, should seek medical treatment immediately, Duan said.