Chinese province reinstates lockdown measures due to Chikungunya virus

(MENAFN) Authorities in Guangdong Province, located in southern China, have reinstated strict lockdown and containment measures similar to those used during the COVID-19 pandemic to address a significant outbreak of the mosquito-transmitted Chikungunya virus. The virus has already affected thousands in the region.

The outbreak is concentrated in Foshan, a city about 170 kilometers north of Hong Kong, where over half of the nearly 8,000 reported infections have been recorded. Chikungunya typically causes sudden fever, rash, and intense joint pain, symptoms that can be debilitating and persist for long periods. Although it is rarely fatal, the illness can greatly reduce patients’ quality of life. Unlike COVID-19, which spreads directly from person to person and has caused millions of deaths globally, this virus transmits through mosquito bites.

Local officials report that infected patients are being isolated in designated wards or hospitals, where they must stay under mosquito nets to prevent further transmission by insect bites.

In addition to patient isolation, local authorities have launched a robust anti-mosquito campaign, instructing residents to remove any stagnant water around their homes, which serves as mosquito breeding grounds. Community workers conduct house-to-house inspections, and those failing to comply may face fines up to 10,000 yuan (approximately $1,400) or criminal charges for interfering with public health efforts.

Social media posts feature images and videos of deserted streets filled with fog from insecticide spraying aimed at reducing mosquito populations. The government has also deployed drones to locate potential mosquito breeding sites and introduced elephant mosquitoes—a non-threatening species whose larvae feed on the harmful virus-carrying mosquitoes—into the environment to help control the outbreak naturally.

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