More than 7,000 cases of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne virus, have been confirmed in China’s Guangdong province since July, prompting authorities to introduce strict control measures reminiscent of the Covid-19 era.
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In Foshan city, the worst-hit area, infected individuals are required to remain in hospital. Their beds are covered with mosquito nets, and they may only be discharged after testing negative or completing a seven-day hospital stay.
Chikungunya is spread through mosquito bites and is known to cause fever and intense joint pain, symptoms that, in some cases, can persist for years.
While outbreaks of the virus are rare in China, they are more common in South and Southeast Asia, as well as parts of Africa.
Aside from Foshan, at least 12 other cities in Guangdong have reported cases. Nearly 3,000 infections were recorded in the last week alone.
Hong Kong has also reported its first case, a 12-year-old boy who developed symptoms including fever, rash, and joint pain after visiting Foshan in July.
Though the virus is not contagious, it only spreads through mosquito bites, the surge in cases has stirred public concern due to the virus’s unfamiliarity in China.
“This is scary. The prolonged consequences sound very painful,” one user wrote on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
Health officials say that all cases so far have been mild, and 95% of patients have recovered within a week. However, the United States has advised travellers to China to exercise “increased caution” in response to the outbreak.
To halt the virus’s spread, Guangdong authorities have pledged “decisive and forceful measures.” People with symptoms such as fever, rash, or joint pain are being urged to get tested at hospitals.
Officials are also taking proactive steps to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds. Residents have been ordered to remove stagnant water from their homes — in places like flowerpots, coffee machines, and unused bottles — or risk fines of up to 10,000 yuan ($1,400).
To combat the mosquito population, authorities have introduced natural predators into the environment. This includes releasing large “elephant mosquitoes” that prey on smaller, virus-carrying mosquitoes, and deploying thousands of mosquito-eating fish into Foshan’s lakes.
Drones are also being used to identify pools of stagnant water from the air.
Initially, some neighbouring cities required travellers from Foshan to observe a 14-day home quarantine. However, that policy has now been withdrawn.
Some Chinese citizens have expressed skepticism about the strict measures, likening them to the country’s previous Covid-19 protocols.
During the pandemic, China had implemented some of the world’s toughest restrictions, including mandatory quarantine camps and lockdowns of entire neighbourhoods without notice.
Symptoms of chikungunya usually appear between three and seven days after a person is bitten by an infected mosquito. In addition to fever and joint pain, patients may also experience rash, headaches, muscle aches, and joint swelling.
Most people recover within a week, but in more serious cases, joint pain can linger for months or even years. Newborns, the elderly, and people with pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes or heart disease are more vulnerable to severe illness.
There is currently no cure for the virus, but fatalities are rare.
First identified in Tanzania in 1952, chikungunya has since spread across sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Today, it has been reported in more than 110 countries.
According to the World Health Organization, the most effective way to control the virus is by eliminating stagnant water where mosquitoes can breed.
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