Patients ‘isolated' and Covid-like alerts issued as surge of ‘disabling' virus in China sparks global outbreak fears

The Sun

a day ago

CHINESE officials have imposed Covid-like measures in parts of the country in an effort to curb surging cases of a "disabling" virus.
More than 7,000 people have fallen ill with the mosquito-borne chickungunya virus, the largest outbreak of its kind ever to be documented in China, according to experts.
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The virus's rapid spread is sparking fears of a global outbreak, with cases expected to continue increasing in the next few weeks.
Most cases have been reported in the city of Foshan, in the southern province of Guangdong, with the authorities tackling the rise in cases with methods employed during the Covid pandemic.
Infected patients are being kept in hospital for a minimum of one week.
Authorities briefly enforced a two-week home quarantine, which was dropped since the disease is spread by mosquitoes and can't be transmitted between people.
Meanwhile, people who do not empty bottles, flower pots or other receptacles with standing water - which can attract mozzies - have been slapped with fines of up to 10,000 yuan ($1,400) and have their electricity cut off.
No deaths from the virus have been reported but at least 12 other cities in Guangdong have reported infections.
At least 3,000 cases were detected over the past week, bringing the total to over 10,000 in the country.
It comes after the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned last month that chickungunya could soon affect billions across the globe - as it tears through parts of the Indian Ocean and edges closer to Europe.
The health watchdog said it was seeing the same warning signs as in the last major outbreak two decades ago, when nearly half a million were infected worldwide.
"We are seeing history repeating itself," said Dr Diana Rojas Alvarez, WHO's technical lead on the virus.
Chikungunya is spread by infected mosquitoes and causes symptoms such as sudden high fever, severe joint and muscle pain, fatigue, rash, and headaches.
Most people recover in a couple of weeks, but some people - especially older adults - may suffer from long-lasting arthritis-like joint pain.
Dr César López-Camacho, from the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford, said: "Although chikungunya rarely causes death, it can be extremely uncomfortable and disabling.
"The most vulnerable include the elderly, newborns, and people with underlying health conditions."
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Chinese health authorities say cases are dropping off slowly, but Dr López-Camacho warned it is likely that chickunguya infections will continue to be reported for the next few weeks.
He described the situation as a "significant outbreak".
"With over 7,000 confirmed cases reported in Guangdong Province, this is the largest chikungunya outbreak ever documented in China.
"Until now, the country had only recorded a few imported cases, with no sustained local transmission.
Chikungunya: Signs and symptoms
Chikungunya is a disease caused by the chikungunya virus, which spreads to humans through infected mosquitoes.
Major outbreaks and scattered cases have been reported across the Americas, Asia, and Africa.
Now, with smaller flare-ups starting to appear in Europe, it's important to be aware of the symptoms.
Not everyone infected with chikungunya will show symptoms, but for those who do, symptoms typically begin 4 to 8 days after the bite of an infected mosquito and include:
Sudden onset of high fever
Severe joint pain (often debilitating)
Joint swelling, especially in the hands, wrists, ankles, and feet
Muscle pain
Headache
Nausea
Fatigue
Rash
Most patients recover fully from chikungunya infection, although occasional cases can involve serious complications affecting the eyes, heart, or nervous system. Some can also be left with deformities.
Newborns infected either during delivery or by mosquito bites shortly after birth, and older adults with underlying health conditions are at higher risk of severe disease.
In such cases, hospitalisation may be necessary due to the risk of organ damage and even death.
'What makes this event notable is that chikungunya has never been established in mainland China before.
"This suggests that most of the population had no pre-existing immunity, making it easier for the virus to spread quickly."
Outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases tend to happen "in populations that are 'naive' to the virus, meaning people have not been previously exposed and are not protected", Dr López-Camacho.
Authorities in China have deployed a series of preventive measures to curb the spread of the virus, spraying clouds of disinfectant around city streets, residential areas, construction sites and even sending out drones to hunt down insect breeding grounds.
Heavy rains and high temperatures have worsened the situation in China.
Chikungunya causes regular outbreaks in Africa, Asia and the Americas, and has also been spotted in Europe.
As of July, there have been about 240,000 cases of chikungunya, including 90 deaths in 16 countries, according to the European Centres for Disease Prevention and Control.
The countries that reported the highest number of infections were Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina and Peru.
How concerning is this outbreak?
Though tactics adopted by authorities in China hark back to lockdown measures five years ago, chikungunya "does not pose the same level of pandemic threat as a virus like COVID-19", according to Prof Tom Solomon, director of The Pandemic Institute in Liverpool.
Dr López-Camacho added: 'It is extremely unlikely to cause a pandemic in the traditional sense, as chikungunya does not spread from person to person.
"However, it can cause large regional outbreaks, especially when introduced to mosquito-rich, low-immunity settings, like what we are probably seeing in China."
The risk to the UK from this outbreak is "currently low" as Aedes mosquitoes, which tend to carry the virus, aren't widespread here.
"But we do need to watch closely, as climate change and global travel are expanding the range of these mosquitoes, and with it, the viruses they carry," Dr López-Camacho warned.
'It is also important that genetic sequencing of the virus in this outbreak is carried out.
"In past outbreaks, mutations have helped chikungunya adapt to new mosquito species.
"If the virus has changed, we need to ensure current vaccines still offer protection."
Brits travelling to China amidst the outbreak should "be cautious", the disease expert said.
"The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a Level 2 travel alert, recommending travellers use insect repellent, wear long sleeves, and stay in screened or air-conditioned accommodation.
"Travellers returning from affected areas who develop fever and joint pain should seek medical attention and mention their recent travel."
People travelling to high-risk areas where outbreaks of the virus often occur can get vaccinated against chikungunya at a travel clinic.
But Prof Solomon noted: "There have been reports of serious side effects in people over the age of 65.
"As such, the vaccine is currently recommended for travellers under 65 visiting high-risk areas."