Chinese authorities have taken extreme measures to combat the spread of the chikungunya virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes and has infected thousands of people. In addition to using protective nets and conducting mass spraying, drones have been deployed to help curb the increase in cases.
As of Wednesday, authorities reported more than 7,000 infections, mostly in China’s southern manufacturing hub of Foshan, located about 170 kilometers from Hong Kong. However, according to officials, the number of new cases appears to be slowly declining.
Experts have described this as the largest documented chikungunya outbreak ever recorded in China.
“What makes this event remarkable is that chikungunya has never been reported before in mainland China,” said Cesar Lopez-Camacho from the University of Oxford.
According to him, this suggests that most of the population had no prior immunity, allowing the virus to spread rapidly.
The virus causes fever and severe joint pain, seriously affecting the health of those infected. Chinese state television has broadcast images of workers spraying streets, residential areas, construction sites, and any location where mosquitoes could breed.
Due to the outbreak, the United States has issued a travel advisory, recommending that American citizens take extra protective measures when visiting China’s Guangdong province, as well as Bolivia and several countries in the Indian Ocean.
