Around seven thousand cases of chikungunya have been reported across China’s Guangdong province since July, prompting measures similar to those taken during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In China’s Foshan city, which has been hit the hardest, patients admitted to hospitals are discharged only after they test negative or at the end of a week-long stay.
Apart from Foshan, at least 12 other cities in China’s southern Guangdong province have reported infections from this a mosquito-borne virus, with nearly 3,000 cases got reported last week.
Although rare in China, chikungunya outbreaks are common in South and South East Asia and parts of Africa.
On Monday, Hong Kong reported its first case of the viral disease after a 12-year-old boy who developed fever, rash and joint pain after traveling to Foshan in July.
An official said, all the reported cases have been mild so far, with 95 per cent of the patients discharged within seven days,
Still, the cases have led to some panic, given the virus is not widely known in the country.
Meanwhile, the US has urged travellers to China to exercise “increased caution” following the outbreak.
Must Read
- Advertisement -
