China battles mosquito-borne virus with Covid-era strategies as U.S. points journey warning

CHONGQING, China — For almost two months, well being officers in southern China have been waging warfare on mosquitos, reviving top-down ways from the nation’s zero-Covid playbook.

Since July, the province of Guangdong alone has reported greater than 10,000 circumstances of chikungunya fever, a mosquito-borne viral illness that principally circulates in tropical areas. Foshan, a producing hub in densely populated Guangdong, has been the hardest-hit Chinese metropolis — recording over 600 new infections per day at its peak, greater than the combined total of 519 cases reported throughout mainland China from 2010 to 2019.

The unprecedented outbreak prompted Chinese authorities to undertake a containment technique akin to the nation’s strict zero-Covid coverage — a “detect and eliminate” strategy.

To curb the unfold, employees had been despatched out to spray insecticide in affected areas a number of instances a day. The authorities additionally required suspected sufferers to report their circumstances promptly and adjust to the quarantine mandate.

The outbreak in China was triggered by hotter climate this 12 months and a fast-spreading virus pressure, Liu Qiyong, chief professional of vector management at China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, instructed state-run broadcaster CCTV.

But the surge in chikungunya circumstances extends far past China as world warming accelerates the unfold of infectious illnesses, together with dengue fever and malaria, a 2025 study found.

As of mid-August, about 270,000 circumstances of chikungunya had been recorded globally this 12 months, together with within the Americas, Europe and Southeast Asia, resulting in no less than 110 associated deaths, in response to the Pan American Health Organization.

While no domestically acquired circumstances have been reported in U.S. states or territories since 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a journey well being discover in August urging “enhanced precaution” amid chikungunya outbreaks in China’s Guangdong province and 4 different nations. The CDC warned that anybody spending time in areas the place chikungunya happens is in danger.

“In this rapidly changing world, infectious disease can disseminate very quickly,” mentioned Jasper Chan, a professor of scientific microbiology and an infection on the University of Hong Kong.

“Especially after the recent Covid-19 pandemic, relevant authorities have been quite, I would say, cautious in terms of making these alert issues,” he mentioned.

Chikungunya 101

The chikungunya virus, first recognized in Tanzania in 1952, has unfold for many years primarily within the Americas, Africa and Asia. It is transmitted primarily via the bites of contaminated mosquitos and does not spread directly from individual to individual.

“Chikungunya virus very closely resembles other mosquito-borne viruses like dengue clinically, but they belong to different families,” Chan mentioned.

Its title, which comes from a language in southern Tanzania, means “to bend over,” a reference to the debilitating joint ache it causes. Though it’s hardly ever deadly, chikungunya can have long-lasting, extreme signs, together with muscle ache, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash, in response to the World Health Organization.

As there is no such thing as a particular antiviral drug to remedy chikungunya, present therapy is targeted totally on relieving the signs. One vaccine is on the market within the United States. Prevention is one of the best safety, in response to the CDC, which advises individuals to keep away from mosquito bites and get vaccinated if obligatory earlier than they journey to locations the place chikungunya happens.

Chikungunya has been reported in over 110 countries throughout each continent besides Antarctica, with no less than 5.6 billion individuals dwelling in locations in danger from it, the WHO estimated.

The illness spreads via world vacationers by way of mosquitoes. An individual will get bitten in a single nation, boards a airplane with the virus nonetheless within the bloodstream and lands hundreds of miles away, the place a mosquito picks up the an infection and passes it to the subsequent particular person. The cycle then begins once more, finally resulting in a neighborhood outbreak.

Though the United States is unlikely to expertise massive outbreaks since individuals in heat areas usually keep indoors with air con, specialists advise utilizing mosquito repellent, sporting lengthy sleeves and delaying journeys to areas with chikungunya outbreaks.

How China battles chikungunya

While chikungunya shouldn’t be unusual in different components of the world, corresponding to Latin America, it’s uncommon to have massive outbreaks in China, the place the primary imported case was recognized in 2008, specialists say.

To cease the unfold, native authorities have enlisted grassroots employees to disperse insecticide on the streets and clear stagnant swimming pools of water the place mosquitos breed. Clinics and hospitals have arrange mosquito-proof beds to isolate sufferers, and residents have been urged to put in display screen home windows and to gentle mosquito coils at house.

People and organizations in China are certain by regulation to observe directions from well being officers in containing the virus. Failure to conform can result in warnings, fines and even civil legal responsibility.

Some have criticized the federal government’s marketing campaign as overkill harking back to Covid-era public well being controls, whereas others have praised the fast, large-scale motion.

“It’s really great to see years of accumulated old trash removed,” a consumer wrote on RedNote, a Chinese social media platform much like Instagram. “But it’s a bit too much to dump out even the cats’ water bowls. That’s a classic case of the one-size-fits-all approach.”

China’s strict controls have curbed the outbreak. As of Aug. 25, Foshan had saved new day by day circumstances beneath 50 for 9 days. Health officers introduced that town of greater than 9 million individuals had ended its public well being emergency response, which lasted for a few month.

Experts say the larger problem is the influence of local weather change, as rising temperatures and extra extreme climate create new habitats for virus-carrying mosquitos to thrive and unfold illnesses.

Because of unusually scorching climate lately, there was an “increasing number” of domestically acquired chikungunya circumstances in areas that had been unaffected by the virus for the previous decade, corresponding to Europe, Chan mentioned.

“Remember, humans are not alone in this globe. We’re living with animals, birds, various other species, as well as all these vectors, including mosquitoes, ticks and other vectors,” he mentioned.

“So we’re just one part of the ecosystem.”

Janis Mackey Frayer reported from Chongqing and Peter Guo from Hong Kong.