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yesterday

Guangdong Ramps Up Mosquito Control as Chikungunya Cases Exceed 8,000

The US CDC’s Level 2 travel advisory remains in effect despite no deaths being reported to date

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A sanitation worker sprays insecticide to prevent the spread of chikungunya on Aug. 3 in Dongguan, Guangdong Province of China. China's Guangdong province has launched targeted measures, including citywide cleanup efforts, to effectively curb the spread of Chikungunya fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease.

Overview

  • Over 8,000 chikungunya infections have been confirmed in Guangdong province as of August 6, with Foshan’s Shunde District accounting for the majority of new cases
  • Since August 1 the US CDC has maintained a Level 2 travel advisory for Guangdong; Hong Kong reported its first imported case on August 4
  • The China CDC attributes the outbreak to imported infections that have triggered sustained transmission cycles in local Aedes mosquito populations
  • Authorities are employing COVID-style containment through mass neighborhood testing, isolating patients in mosquito-netted hospital wards until they test negative
  • Innovative vector control measures include deploying larva-eating fish in stagnant water, releasing predatory "elephant mosquitoes" that prey on Aedes species