A mosquito-borne virus that hew Virus Outbreak In China: What To Know About The Chikungunya Virus
Mosquito-borne virus that has infected more than 7,000 people across at least 13 cities in China has sparked precautions similar to those imposed during the COVID pandemic in attempts to stop its spread despite the virus not being transmittable from person to person.
The chikungunya virus, which spreads only through the bite of an infected mosquito and is not usually fatal, has spread quickly across more than a dozen cities in the southern Guangdong province, just north of Hong Kong, with almost 3,000 cases reported in the last week alone, according to the BBC.
Chikungunya is usually a rarity in China but infections have spread rapidly after an imported case was detected in Foshan city, which has been the hardest hit, on July 8 and spread from there, the New York Times reported.
In Guangdong, measures reminiscent of those used during the COVID pandemic have been instituted, including requiring all infected patients to remain in hospital quarantine under a mosquito net until they test negative for the virus, according to a translation of Chinese news outlet NF News.
Authorities are conducting door-to-door home inspections to ensure the elimination of stagnant water, where mosquitos breed, and those who fail to cooperate can be fined or face criminal charges for “obstructing the prevention of infectious diseases,” according to a government flyer translated by the Times.
Other precautions taken include introducing giant “elephant mosquitoes” in the region in hopes their larvae will eat the virus-carrying mosquitoes, releasing mosquito-eating fish into local ponds, spraying pesticides and sending out drones with the mission of identifying mosquito breeding sites, the Times reported.
