Health authorities in China’s Guangdong province have confirmed a major outbreak of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne virus that has infected more than 7,000 people since July. The hardest-hit area is Foshan city, where patients are now being hospitalized under strict conditions, including isolation in mosquito-netted beds and mandatory week-long stays or discharge only after testing negative.
Medical experts say the virus, which is transmitted through mosquito bites, causes fever and severe joint pain that can persist for months or even years. While chikungunya is rare in China, it is more commonly seen in parts of Southeast Asia and Africa. The latest outbreak has now spread to at least 12 other cities in Guangdong, with nearly 3,000 new cases recorded in just the past week.
Chinese health Officials have also confirmed its first case, involving a 12-year-old boy who returned from Foshan with symptoms. Although the virus is not contagious between humans, health officials noted that 95 percent of patients so far have experienced only mild symptoms and recovered within a week, urging mosquito control and personal protection.
