China reports 7,000 cases of chikungunya virus
🚨 China Reports Over 7,000 Chikungunya Cases Amid Fast-Moving Outbreak
Published: August 2025 · ENS | Health & Global Updates
China is battling one of its largest chikungunya outbreaks ever, with over 7,000 confirmed cases in Guangdong Province since early July—mostly in the city of Foshan. The disease is spreading rapidly via Aedes mosquitoes and, while rarely fatal, can cause severe fever and joint pain lasting for days or even months 1.
Authorities have deployed aggressive measures including:
- COVID-style restrictions and mass isolation in mosquito-bed hospital wards
- Mosquito control campaigns using larva-eating fish and non-biting “cannibal mosquitoes”
- Fines, drone inspections, and door-to-door sanitation drives 2.
The U.S. CDC is considering a Level 2 travel advisory for China as cases approached 5,000 by late July. Travelers are advised to take precautions such as insect repellent use, screened housing, and long sleeves to reduce exposure 3.
- Most cases mild: >95% of patients recover within a week without severe complications.
- No local deaths reported so far despite high infection numbers.
- Global context: Chikungunya has infected over 220,000 individuals across 14 countries in 2025 4.
- Vaccine status: Not yet available in China; U.S.-approved vaccines exist but are not yet widely distributed 5.
This outbreak underscores vulnerabilities to climate-driven vector spread and highlights the need for rapid public health response—even where fatality risk is low.
Source: Reuters, Time, US News, South China Morning Post
