CDC issues travel alert over chikungunya virus outbreak in China
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 2 travel alert urging American travelers to take enhanced precautions due to an outbreak of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus, which is currently active in Foshan, Guangdong Province, China. The virus is also present in parts of Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and near the Indian Ocean. The CDC highlights elevated risks in countries such as Brazil, Colombia, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Thailand.
As of the latest reports, Foshan has recorded most of the approximately 7,000 recent cases, with new cases slowly declining. Local authorities are combating the outbreak through measures like insect repellent spraying,eliminating standing water,deploying drones to find mosquito breeding sites,and using natural predators like mosquito-eating fish. These efforts are part of a broader public health campaign reminiscent of China’s COVID-19 response.
The chikungunya virus spreads through infected female mosquitoes, causing symptoms such as fever, joint pain, headaches, muscle pain, joint swelling, and rashes. There is no direct person-to-person transmission. Although there have been no locally acquired cases in the U.S. since 2019,there were 199 travel-related cases last year and 46 so far this year. The CDC recommends vaccination for travelers visiting outbreak areas.
CDC issues travel alert over chikungunya virus outbreak in China
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning American travelers to take “enhanced precautions” when traveling to foreign countries experiencing a chikungunya virus outbreak.
The mosquito-borne illness is currently prevalent in China, specifically in Foshan, located in the southern Guangdong Province. Other cases have been reported in parts of Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and countries or territories near the Indian Ocean.
The CDC issued a “Level 2” travel alert in response to the virus. The public health agency warned American travelers are at an elevated risk of exposure to the chikungunya virus if they visit Brazil, Colombia, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, or Thailand.
The CDC reported current outbreaks in Bolivia, China, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Réunion, Somalia, and Sri Lanka. The agency recommends travelers get vaccinated when visiting an area with an outbreak.
As of Wednesday, most of the recent 7,000 chikungunya virus cases have been reported in Foshan, China. The city is located near Hong Kong, which reported its first case of the disease since 2019 on Monday. New cases appear to be slowly declining, according to Chinese officials.
Foshan authorities are trying to combat the virus by taking preventative measures, such as spraying people with insect repellent before they can enter buildings and ordering residents to disperse standing water. Those who do not dump the water can be fined up to $1,400 and have their electricity cut.
Officials have deployed drones to identify mosquito breeding grounds in stagnant water. Mosquito-eating fish and “elephant mosquitoes,” whose larvae eat other mosquito larvae, have also been deployed to fight the virus at its source.
The efforts are part of China’s “patriotic public health campaign,” which is reminiscent of the country’s crackdown on the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson has said the cases in China were “under control,” the New York Times reported.
The chikungunya virus is spread to people by infected female mosquitoes that also transmit the dengue and Zika viruses. The disease is not directly contagious from person to person.
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The most common symptoms are fevers and joint pain, according to the CDC. Other symptoms include headaches, muscle pain, joint swelling, and rashes.
Locally acquired chikungunya cases have not been reported in the United States or its territories since 2019, the agency noted. However, there were 199 travel-related chikungunya reports in the U.S. last year and 46 so far this year.
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