Submitted by the MVCAC VVBD Committee
Moon G and Li L. (2025, 20250806). Washington Post. Retrieved 0806, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/08/06/chikungunya-virus-outbreak-china-symptoms-cause/
Local health authorities in China have reported more than 8,000 cases of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne illness that can cause prolonged, debilitating joint pain. The outbreak prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a notice this month warning travelers of the need for enhanced precautions. The agency also issued a travel notice for outbreaks in Bolivia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Réunion, Somalia and Sri Lanka. The epicenter of the outbreak in China is Foshan, a city of almost 10 million people in the southeastern Guangdong province. Cases associated with the Foshan outbreak have been reported in nearby Hong Kong and Macao, as well as Hunan province, more than 400 miles to the north. Chinese health officials say efforts are underway to contain the spread of the disease — including deploying drones to spray mosquito repellent and releasing thousands of larvae-eating fish into ponds — as the region endures a hot summer with heavy rainstorms.
Note: This newspaper article provides a first look at the expanding outbreak of chikungunya virus in China. Although centered in China, the extent of the travel advisory indicates the possible inception of a global pandemic tracking the distribution of Aedes aegypti, the primary vector.