Photo: VCG

After the number of chikungunya infections in Foshan, South China's Guangdong Province, reached 2,655 on Tuesday, cities including Beijing and Shaoxing issued health advisories on preventing the fever.

Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) issued a health advisory on Tuesday, stating that currently, occasional imported cases have been detected in Beijing, and with increasing international travel, the risk of imported cases remains ongoing.

The advisory said that Chikungunya fever, an acute mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by the Chikungunya virus, is mainly prevalent in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Africa, and is transmitted through the bites of Aedes mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus), with no evidence of human-to-human transmission. 

The general population is susceptible, and those infected can gain long-lasting immunity. Chikungunya outbreaks have occurred in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with the Chikungunya virus being detected in 119 countries. 

Since 2010, China has reported imported cases from Southeast Asia, Africa, and Central Asia, with local transmission occurring in places such as South China's Guangdong.

On the same day, Shaoxing city, East China's Zhejiang Province, stated that residents who have a travel history in overseas regions such as Africa and Southeast Asia, or in domestic destinations like Foshan within 14 days, and who develop symptoms such as fever, are required to report to medical staff in a timely manner when seeking medical treatment, so as to facilitate clear diagnosis and treatment.

On Monday evening, Guangdong CDC also issued an "appeal to residents" encouraging residents to take proactive action by overturning containers, clearing stagnant water, maintaining clean environments, and taking measures to prevent and eliminate mosquitoes.

He Jianfeng, deputy director of the Guangdong CDC and chief scientist in the field of infectious disease prevention and control, stated that currently, all reported cases in Guangdong are mild, chinanews.com reported on Monday. However, attention should also be given to newborns, individuals aged 65 and above, especially those with underlying health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. These groups are more likely to develop complications if infected with Chikungunya fever and should seek medical attention promptly, He said. 

Besides Beijing, other cities and provinces such as Shenzhen, Shanghai, and East China's Anhui Province also issued health advisory against the Chikungunya fever in recent days. 

The latest report showed that as of Monday, a total of 2,655 confirmed cases of Chikungunya fever have been reported in Shunde, Nanhai, and Chancheng districts of Foshan, all of which are mild cases, the Paper reported. 

Global Times