Chikungunya Infects Nearly 2,000 Across Foshan Districts, Triggering Emergency Response

An outbreak of chikungunya fever, a mosquito-borne disease, has been confirmed in Foshan city, Guangdong province, with over 1,873 cases reported across Shunde, Nanhai, and Chancheng districts. The outbreak began from an imported case in Shunde and has led to a coordinated emergency response involving multiple government departments to control the spread through mosquito eradication and public sanitation campaigns. Most cases are mild, with no severe or fatal outcomes, and significant efforts have reduced mosquito density in affected areas. The outbreak has raised concerns in neighboring Hong Kong about potential imported cases and sporadic local infections, given frequent travel between the regions. Health experts emphasize the importance of mosquito control and note the similarity of chikungunya symptoms to dengue fever, with joint pain being a distinguishing feature. Meanwhile, in Nepal's Chitwan district, dengue fever remains a prevalent mosquito-borne illness, with 3,889 infections and one death reported in the past year, underscoring the ongoing regional challenges posed by mosquito-borne diseases.