Chikungunya Outbreak Spreads North of Hong Kong — Vax-Before-Travel

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health within the People’s Republic of China not too long ago introduced that the outbreak of Chikungunya fever (CF) has accelerated roughly 119 km north of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China.

In July this 12 months, an outbreak of CF occurred within the Shunde District of Foshan City, Guangdong Province, triggered by imported circumstances.

As of July 24, 2025, the CHP reported 3,645 confirmed circumstances in Foshan. The majority of circumstances (3,317) had been reported in Shunde District.

All circumstances have been gentle, with no extreme or deadly circumstances reported thus far.

Furthermore, there have been no confirmed circumstances of CF in Hong Kong, a metropolis with over 7 million residents, since 2020.

‘Although Aedes aegypti, the first vector for spreading CF, just isn’t present in Hong Kong, Aedes albopictus is one other vector that may transmit CF. Imported circumstances of CF can result in native transmission if mosquitoes chunk them in the course of the communicable interval,’ wrote the CHP.

Regarding Macao, situated south of Guangdong Province on China’s jap coast, the primary and second confirmed circumstances this 12 months had been recorded in mid-July. These sufferers travelled to Shunde and Nanhai, respectively, in the course of the incubation interval and had been categorized as imported circumstances.

Dr Tsui added in a press release that CF can simply result in large-scale outbreaks in environments with extreme mosquito infestations, putting a burden on the healthcare system. Therefore, CF shouldn’t be taken flippantly.

The CHP at the moment recommends that the general public use DEET-containing insect repellents or different efficient energetic components correctly to stop mosquito bites successfully.

While two Chikungunya vaccines are permitted to be used within the United States and are really helpful when visiting outbreak areas, they aren’t supplied in China.