Chikungunya virus not spread from person to person: China's CDC

Recently, a number of cities in southern China have reported imported cases of chikungunya, which have led to local transmission, an official from Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday, noting that the epidemic is preventable, controllable and treatable, with no evidence of human-to-human transmission.

Chikungunya clinically presents symptoms such as fever and joint pain, Duan Leilei, a researcher from China's CDC, said at a press conference on Wednesday. She emphasized the importance of swiftly carrying out mosquito control measures in areas affected by the outbreak to reduce mosquito density.

Duan urged the public to take protective measures. When going outdoors during the day, it is recommended to wear light-colored long-sleeved shirts and pants, and use mosquito repellent. 

She cautioned that individuals who experience high fever, severe joint pain or rashes, especially those with a history of mosquito bites or have traveled to affected areas, should seek medical attention immediately.

As of Monday, Foshan city in South China's Guangdong Province has reported a total of 2,658 confirmed cases of chikungunya in four districts, with all cases being mild.

According to a report from the Shunde district health commission on Tuesday, Foshan's Shunde district has 2,471 confirmed cases of chikungunya, with all cases being mild.

Cases in other districts such as Nanhai and Chancheng are also mild.

Currently, Foshan has designated 53 hospitals as designated treatment facilities, with over 3,600 mosquito-proof isolation beds prepared, China Central Television reported, adding that the city also has plans to expand capacity if needed.

Foshan city has added 35 hospitals to conduct chikungunya PCR testing. Suspected cases of chikungunya who test positive for the virus will be kept in the hospital for treatment, primarily to prevent further spread of the outbreak, according to CCTV.

Foshan is currently in a critical phase of combating the chikungunya outbreak, with efforts now focused on halting community transmission and preventing the virus from spreading beyond the city, said Lu Hongzhou, head of the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, in an interview with the Global Times.

To control the source of infection, the city's priority is to ensure the prompt identification, diagnosis, and treatment of cases. Medical institutions in Foshan now report positive PCR test results to the China CDC's online system on the same day the diagnosis is made, enabling a review process at the district, city, and provincial levels to be completed within two hours, Lu noted.

After the number of chikungunya infections in Foshan, South China's Guangdong Province, climbed on Tuesday, cities including Beijing and Shaoxing have 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 World Health Organisation issued an urgent call for action on July 22 to prevent a repeat of the epidemic of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus that swept the globe two decades ago, as new outbreaks linked to the Indian Ocean region spread to Europe and other continents, per Reuters.

(Zhao Yusha Global Times)