United States health officials are urging travellers to remain vigilant as a mosquito-borne virus continues to circulate across parts of Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Indian Ocean.
Since the beginning of 2025, there have been approximately 240,000 chikungunya virus infections and 90 deaths in 16 countries, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
How widespread are the infections in China?
Aside from Foshan, at least 12 other cities in the southern Guangdong province have reported infections. Nearly 3,000 cases were reported in the last week alone.
On Monday, Hong Kong reported its first case – a 12-year-old boy who developed fever, rash and joint pain after traveling to Foshan in July.
The virus is not contagious, and only spreads when an infected person is bitten by a mosquito that then goes on to bite others.
Officials say all the reported cases have been mild so far, with 95% 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.
“This is scary. The prolonged consequences sound very painful,” one user wrote on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
The US has urged travellers to China to exercise “increased caution” following the outbreak.
Source: BBC by Kelly Ng
Also read: China chikungunya outbreak hits 7,000 cases
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