Written By: N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe | Updated : August 30, 2025 5:01 PM IST
Since the beginning of the year, China has been grappling with a rising tide of mosquito-borne disease, where thousands of cases have been reported. Amid the ongoing spread of the outbreak, health officials upgraded a recent travel warning for a mosquito-borne illness that causes pain potentially lasting for years.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 2 travel warning for Guangdong Province in China, advising visitors to "practice enhanced precautions" due to an outbreak of chikungunya.
The outbreak has shaken Guangdong Province, and as per reports, Foshan city has been hit the hardest, with 12 other cities located in the southern province having been affected on a large scale by the mosquito-borne disease.
Back in July, the city recorded 7000 cases of chikungunya virus, prompting health professionals to take proactive measures to take stock of the situation, such as where chikungunya patients are required to stay in the hospital with proper treatment facilities, warning that the locals are to be fined 10,000 yuan ($1,400) if they do not follow the instructions of removing stagnant water from their house surroundings, flowerpots, coffee machines or spare bottles, among many others.
Chikungunya is a dangerous disease that spreads to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. The World Health Organization (WHO) explains, "Chikungunya is a disease caused by the chikungunya virus, which is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes, with large outbreaks and sporadic cases reported mostly in the Americas, Asia and Africa, and occasional smaller outbreaks in Europe."
According to the global health agency, symptoms of chikungunya are similar to those of dengue and Zika, making chikungunya easy to misdiagnose and making it more difficult for countries to determine the number of people infected.
A person living with chikungunya may experience fever and severe joint pain, which the WHO deems as "debilitating" and may be prolonged. Other symptoms include joint swelling, muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash.
Currently, there are two chikungunya vaccines available, one of which is the IXCHIQ vaccine, a live-attenuated vaccine that utilises a weakened form of the chikungunya virus to cause an immune response to help prevent the disease.
Whereas, VIMKUNYA is a virus-like particle vaccine that uses a molecule that resembles the virus closely enough to prompt an immune response to help prevent illness. The CDC explains that the VIMKUNYA vaccine does not use a live or weakened form of the chikungunya virus.
As per the CDC, the best way to prevent yourself from the chikungunya virus is to "prevent mosquito bites" and get "vaccinated". Here are certain measures you can take to prevent the chikungunya virus:
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For chikungunya symptoms to develop, it takes 2 to 12 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
China's health authorities are taking proactive measures to curb the ongoing outbreak by spraying and fogging insecticides, eliminating mosquito breeding grounds, etc.
