Chicungunya virus: China reports 7,000 cases

More than 7,000 cases of mosquito virus have been reported in the Chinese Guangdong province of July, which prompts measures similar to those taken during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the city of Foshan, which has been hit the most difficult, patients with Chikungunya should remain in a hospital where their beds will be protected with mosquito nets. They can only be discarded after testing negative or at the end of a week’s stay.

Distributed through the bite of an infected mosquito, the virus causes fever and severe joint pain, which can sometimes last for years.

Although rare in China, Chikungunya outbreaks are common in South and Southeast Asia and parts of Africa.

In addition to Fosan, at least 12 other cities in the southern province of Guangdong are infections. Nearly 3,000 cases have been reported in the last week alone.

On Monday, Hong Kong reported on his first case-12-year-old boy who develops fever, rash and joint pain after traveling to Foshan in July.

The virus is not infected and spread only when the infected person is bitten by a mosquito, which then continues to bite others.

Officials claim that all reported cases have been mild so far, with 95% of patients being discharged within seven days.

However, the cases have led to some panic, given that the virus is not widely known in the country.

“It’s scary. The prolonged consequences sound very painful,” writes a consumer in the Chinese social media platform Weibo.

The United States has called on travelers in China to exercise “increased caution” after the hearth.

Authorities in Guangdong Province have promised to take “decisive and strong measures” to stop the spread of the disease.

Those with symptoms, such as fever, joint pain or rashes, are called to visit the closest hospital so that they can be tested for the virus.

Authorities have instructed residents to remove stagnant water in their homes, such as in color photos, coffee machines or spare bottles – and warn of fines up to $ 10,000 ($ 1400) if they didn’t.

They also release giant “elephant mosquitoes” that can absorb smaller, scattered in chicunguria bugs; And an army of fish eating mosquitoes.

Last week, Fosan officials released 5,000 of those fish that eat larvae in the lakes of the city. In parts of the city, they even fly drones to find sources of stagnant water.

Some neighboring cities had ordered the travelers from Foshan to undergo a 14-day home quarantine, but this has been withdrawn since then.

Some people compare these measures to those imposed during the pandemic and question their need.

Weibo user wrote: “They feel so familiar … but are they really needed?”

Another wrote: “What is the meaning of quarantine? It is not like an infected patient will go around to bite other people?”

China applies severe pandemic restrictions, including forcing people in quarantine camps and sealing residential buildings and entire neighborhoods for days or even weeks.

Most people bitten by an infected mosquito will develop symptoms of Chikungunya within three to seven days.

In addition to fever and joint pain, other symptoms include rash, headache, muscle pain and swollen joints.

In most cases, patients will feel better within a week. In severe cases, however, joint pain can last for months or even years.

People exposed to a more serious illness include newborns, elderly people and people with basic medical conditions such as heart disease or diabetes.

There is no cure, but the death of Chikungunya is rare.

The virus was first identified in Tanzania in 1952. He then spread to other countries in Africa of Subsahara and Southeast Asia.

To date, it has been reported in more than 110 countries.

The best way to prevent the spread of the virus is to reduce the stagnant water pools that allow mosquitoes to multiply, according to the World Health Organization.