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Extra.ie
5 days ago
- Health
- Extra.ie
Lockdowns and quarantines return as deadly virus spreads across China
A rampaging virus has seen thousands of people hospitalised across China, after they became seriously ill with a painful condition caused by mosquito bites. The overwhelming number of cases has prompted health authorities in parts of China to impose mass quarantines and lockdowns not seen since Covid, even though the virus is not spread by humans. The 'Chikungunya' virus spread rapidly to about 8,000 patients in just under four weeks, with most cases across China's Guangdong province to the south, with the city of Foshan hit the hardest. A mosquito having a bloody bite. But worryingly, Hong Kong's first case was confirmed Monday, and there are growing fears of a potential pandemic sweeping Asia. Infected people are already being sent to 'quarantine wards' in hospitals where they are recovering in beds covered by mosquito nets. They must remain in hospital for at least a week, unless they test negative for the virus before the seven-day quarantine ends. Chinese soldiers have been dousing public spaces with insecticide in an effort to curb any spread of the virus and authorities have begun releasing 'elephant mosquitoes' who devour the smaller, virus-carrying mosquitoes. GUANGZHOU, CHINA – JULY 30: A staff member carries out mosquito eradication work on a rooftop sewer on July 30, 2025 in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province of China. China's Guangdong Province has launched targeted measures, including citywide cleanup efforts, to effectively curb the spread of Chikungunya fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease. (Photo by Chen Chuhong/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images) Thousands of fish who feast on mosquitoes have also been released into public ponds in the city of Foshan. Media reports in China say residents have been told to remove any stagnant water from garden ponds or pools, where mosquitoes breed, and people may face huge fines if they fail to comply.
Courier-Mail
5 days ago
- Health
- Courier-Mail
Thousands infected in China as mosquito-borne virus sparks pandemic fears
Don't miss out on the headlines from Health. Followed categories will be added to My News. Thousands of people have been infected with a painful mosquito-borne virus in China, prompting a response not seen since Covid — including mass quarantines even though the virus is not spread by humans. The chikungunya virus has rapidly spread to about 8,000 patients in just four weeks, mainly across China's Guangdong province to the south, with the city of Foshan hit the hardest, according to the New York Times. But Hong Kong's first case was confirmed on Monday, and the increasingly worrisome situation is stoking fears of a potential pandemic. Infected residents are being sent to 'quarantine wards' in hospitals where they're placed in beds covered by mosquito nets. They have to then remain there for a week, unless they test negative beforehand. Get all the latest news happening around the world as it happens — download the app direct to your phone. A worker sprays insecticide Foshan, China. Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images A drone sprays in Guangzhou. Photo by Chen Chuhong/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images Nearby cities at one point also forced people entering from Foshan to quarantine themselves for 14 days but have since lifted that order. The drastic measures show just how jittery Chinese officials are about the potential for another major health crisis, considering Chikungunya is typically not deadly and not spread between humans but is transmitted by the bites of infected Aedes mosquitoes. In a massive effort to curb its further spread, masked Chinese soldiers have been dousing public spaces with insecticide, and authorities have begun releasing 'elephant mosquitoes' whose larvae devour the smaller, virus-carrying mosquitoes. Thousands of mosquito-eating fish also have been released into Foshan's public ponds. Officials have urged those showing any symptoms to be tested for the virus, and residents have been ordered to remove stagnant water, where the mosquitoes breed, from their homes — and threatened with fines up to $1,400 if they refuse to comply, according to the BBC. This isn't just a Chinese problem – the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported in July that 240,000 people had been infected while 90 people had died. Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP At least five homes have had their electricity cut for not co-operating, the Times reported. Authorities are even using drones to detect potential hot spots of stagnant water. There is no known cure for the virus, which has symptoms that can be agonising and include fever, joint pain, headache, muscle pain, swelling and rash, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials in China said 95 per cent of the patients hospitalised with the virus have been discharged within seven days, but the infection rate has the region on high alert with 3,000 cases reported in area in just the past week alone, according to the BBC. Mosquitoes swarm plane Video Player is loading. Play Video This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. 00:18 SUBSCRIBER ONLY Mosquitoes swarm plane and...... more more scratching their skin Passengers seen swatting mozzies ... more The swift response by the Chinese government has its citizens online comparing the outbreak to the COVID-19 pandemic, which exploded in 2020 and killed millions of people. US officials claim the coronavirus was accidentally released from a Chinese laboratory. China imposed some of the strictest restrictions in the world at the time, including major lockdowns, forced testing and social-distancing rules. In Guangdong, authorities have vowed to take 'decisive and forceful measures' to halt the spread of chikungunya, which is not commonly found as far north as in China. Ren Chao, a professor at the University of Hong Kong studying climate change's impact on Chikungunya, told the paper that infected mosquitoes 'can spread and reproduce in even the smallest pool of water, like a Coke bottle cap.' The efforts are widespread around the country. Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images The CDC on Friday issued a Level 2 travel notice for those going to China as the disease continues to spread. Level 2, which tells travellers to 'practice enhanced precautions,' is on a warning scale of four, with four urging people to 'avoid all travel' to the region. The agency has urged Americans travelling there to get vaccinated for chikungunya. There are two vaccines approved for use against it in the US. The current surge began in early 2025, with major outbreaks in the same Indian Ocean area. This story first appeared in the New York Post and was republished with permission. Originally published as Thousands infected in China as mosquito-borne virus sparks pandemic fears
