South China’s Foshan urged to stamp out Chikungunya spread as Guangdong cases rise
Vice-Premier Liu Guozhong calls on manufacturing hub in southern Guangdong province to strictly follow ‘port health quarantine measures’
A senior Chinese official has visited the epicentre of the country’s Chikungunya fever outbreak, as the number of cases of the mosquito-borne virus rises.
Chinese Vice-Premier Liu Guozhong visited the southern city of Foshan in Guangdong province earlier in the week, urging authorities to “strictly implement port health quarantine measures”, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday.
Liu told city authorities to “improve prevention and control measures”, “effectively eliminate mosquitoes” and “cut off epidemic spread channels”, the report said.
Foshan, a manufacturing hub of 10 million residents, accounted for about 60 per cent of 4,824 reported cases in Guangdong as of July 26, according to the provincial centre for disease control. There have been no fatalities.
Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection said on Friday that “according to the information from the Foshan health authority, as of July 30 there were over 6,500 cases”.
It said 5,660 cases were in Shunde district. All cases were mild, with no severe or fatal cases.
Neighbouring Hong Kong on Saturday reported its first imported case of the disease since 2019, a boy who spent two weeks in Shunde district.
This is China’s worst outbreak of the disease in decades, and Foshan authorities issued notices earlier this week offering nucleic acid PCR tests in several neighbourhoods.
According to Chinese website Hongxing News, some residents in the Foshan township of Lecong were notified about free screening for Chikungunya fever during the week.
The report quoted community doctors as saying those who “are asymptomatic or have not received notifications” did not need to be tested for the time being.
It was not clear if the tests were compulsory.
Chikungunya fever is a viral disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. It causes sudden high fever, severe joint pain, rash and fatigue. It cannot be contracted through direct contact with another person.
While rarely fatal, the illness can lead to debilitating symptoms lasting weeks. Outbreaks are often linked to tropical and subtropical regions with dense mosquito populations.
There are vaccines for preventing Chikungunya virus infection, but none are licensed for use in China.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday issued a level 2 travel notice – the second level in a four-tier system – for visitors to China to take extra precautions because of the rising number of Chikungunya cases.
China also issued new treatment guidelines for the disease earlier this week, calling on medical staff to avoid indiscriminate use of antimicrobial medications.
The World Health Organization recommends using antipyretics and analgesics such as paracetamol to treat fever and joint pain.