After COVID-19, another deadly disease is spreading in China, even Hong Kong is on alert; cases have reached...., disease is....
In China, another health catastrophe is unfolding after the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospitals in Foshan city, near Shenzhen in southern China, are full and can hardly accommodate more patients. Numerous people are ill and waiting for their turn to receive treatment. The illness that is causing the uptick in patients is Chikungunya. What is the new disease spreading in China after COVID-19?
The Ministry of Health in China has initiated an emergency campaign to safeguard those at risk of Chikungunya fever illness. This important because this disease has rarely been present in the province of Guangdong. The outbreak has also sent neighboring Hong Kong on high alert.
As stated in the South China Morning Post, local authorities in the Shunde and Nanhai districts of Foshan issued notices on Saturday, calling on all residents and communities to take on indoor sanitation and outdoor clean-ups during that weekend to control breeding mosquitoes. Which areas in China are most affected by the disease?
The local health bureau said that the outbreak started from an imported case in Shunde on July 8. As of Friday the number of confirmed cases in Shunde was 1,161, with a bulk of these cases being concentrated in the towns of Lecong, Beijiao, and Chencun. All the patients experienced symptoms that were mild,
Other districts reported confirmed cases as well, with Nanhai district adding 16, and Chancheng district contributing to the number with 22 confirmed cases as of Friday. Macau, which borders Guangdong, reported one imported case of Chikungunya on Friday. The case involved a local resident who had just returned from a visit to Foshan. What are the symptoms of this disease?
Chikungunya fever is transmitted by a bite from an infected mosquito. Infected patients will have fever and joint pains that can last months to even years. Other symptoms we may find include muscle pain, nausea, and rashes. What measures are being taken to control the outbreak?
The word 'chikungunya' comes from the Kimakonde language in East Africa and means 'to become contorted,' which applies to the bent-over position so many patients assume from debilitating joint pain. In a notice on Saturday, the public was warned to remain vigilant and that 'the risk of individual infection will continue to increase'.
'Mosquito prevention and control are the most economical and effective fundamental measures to combat mosquito-borne diseases,' the statement added. The stated precautions include to remove water that is stagnant indoors and outdoors, clean drains and containers in households, and clean homes thoroughly to eliminate all potential mosquito breeding sites. In addition, readers were also advised to remove water from a courtyard and/or rooftops to eliminate mosquito habitat.
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