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South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Eliminating mosquitoes not enough to fight China's chikungunya fever outbreak, experts say
Experts in mosquito-borne infectious diseases are warning against excessive insect eradication campaigns as cities in southern China seek to eliminate mosquitoes in the fight against chikungunya fever Advertisement Guangdong province in southern China has been hit by a wave of chikungunya fever cases , with more than 7,000 people affected so far – marking the most severe outbreak since the disease was first detected in China nearly two decades ago. Chikungunya fever is a viral disease transmitted by the Aedes mosquito. While rarely fatal, it can lead to symptoms such as fever, rash and joint pain. The combination of heat, humidity and rain has created a favourable environment for mosquitoes to thrive and spread the disease. In Foshan, the centre of the outbreak, some health authorities have penalised businesses, including hotels and restaurants, for failing to promptly eliminate mosquito breeding sites, according to state-run news site However, Jin Dongyan, a professor of biomedical science at the University of Hong Kong, said the efforts to kill all kinds of mosquitoes in the cities, including those in homes and shops, may be missing the target because most of them did not carry the virus. A sanitation worker sprays insecticide to prevent the spread of chikungunya on August 3 in Dongguan, Guangdong Province of China. Photo: VCG/VCG via Getty Images Chikungunya is most commonly transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female mosquitoes including Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, which can also transmit the dengue and Zika viruses. However, Aedes aegypti is rarely seen in Guangdong, according to Jin.
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Chinese city orders real-name registration for chikungunya fever medication amid outbreak
The southern city of Foshan has required real-name registration for medication to treat chikungunya fever , while two cities in southeastern China have asked travellers returning from affected areas to monitor their health for signs of the mosquito-borne illness. The market supervision bureau in Foshan, Guangdong province issued a public notice on Sunday asking all retail pharmacies to start real-name registration and to keep records when selling medications to treat symptoms of chikungunya, including fever, rashes and joint pain. This practice was also used during the Covid-19 pandemic to help mainland Chinese authorities track potential cases that were not reported. Chikungunya fever is a viral disease transmitted by the Aedes mosquito. It cannot be contracted through direct contact with another person. While rarely fatal, the illness can lead to debilitating symptoms lasting weeks. Those who buy the medications are required to provide their personal information and tell pharmacies about any recent mosquito bites or chikungunya symptoms, according to the notice. Some health authorities in Foshan have handed out administrative penalties for businesses that fail to promptly eliminate mosquito breeding sites, such as hotels and restaurants, according to state-run news site on Tuesday.
