Cases of chikungunya virus continue to rise in China, as the country battles its largest-ever outbreak of the illness.
Another 1,387 cases of Chikungunya virus were confirmed last week, Chinese authorities said, with almost all in the southern manufacturing city of Foshan.
It takes the tally to more than 10,000 cases overall, with infections also reported in Taiwan and Hong Kong, as well as in Europe and travel-acquired cases in the US.
The reported figure for the latest week is, however, below that for the previous seven-day period at 2,892 cases, in a sign that the outbreak could now be slowing.
Chinese officials say there have been no cases of severe disease or death reported during the outbreak.
The spread of the mosquito-borne disease has triggered restrictions in China not seen since the Covid pandemic, with disinfectant sprayed in streets and patients quarantined in hospitals.
Officials have also deployed insecticide-spraying drones, ‘cannibal’ mosquitoes and killer fish to eliminate any insects that could be carrying the virus.
It has also triggered alarm in the US, with CDC officials saying they are ‘assessing’ the situation and warning Americans to take protective measures, such as wearing insect repellent or long-sleeved clothes if they travel to the area.
Experts in the US say the disease is just ‘one plane ride’ from reaching American shores.
More people have been sickened in China’s outbreak. Shown above is a worker spraying insecticide at a public housing estate in Hong Kong amid concerns the disease will spread
Officials say, however, that cases are falling. Above are workers spraying insecticide in Shenzhen, China, last week
China’s record-breaking outbreak is in Guangdong province, on the southern coast, with almost all the infections reported in the city of Foshan.
In the latest update from the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, revealed by the Yangcheng Evening News, officials reported that of the new cases, 1,212 were in Foshan.
Another 103 cases were reported in Guangzhou, the largest city in the province, while 39 cases were reported in Zhanjiang. It was not clear where the other 33 cases were within the province.
Officials heralded the figures as the lowest weekly count reported since the peak of the outbreak in the week to July 20 to 26, when they said they recorded 2,940 cases.
In a statement to DailyMail.com last week, a CDC spokesman said: ‘CDC is aware of the reported chikungunya outbreak in Guangdong Province in China and is currently assessing the size and extent of the outbreak.’
The agency has already issued a level two warning for the area, advising Americans to take advanced precautions when traveling to the region.
On Friday, Hong Kong said it had detected another two cases linked to the outbreak, taking its chikungunya tally to five infections reported this year.
The above map shows the area in China where US travelers are being advised to take extra precautions because of the outbreak
Drones are being used to hunt down insect breeding grounds and spray insecticide (file photo)
One was a 66-year-old woman who was reported to have traveled to Foshan alone from July 24 to August 5 to see family, before returning to Hong Kong. The patient began suffering from fever, rash and joint pain on August 6 and went to the hospital.
She has now been discharged.
It also reported another suspected case in a healthy 22-year-old woman who was suffering from joint pain and fever. She had recently traveled to Madagascar, Mauritius and Malaysia before returning to the territory, and reported having been bitten by mosquitoes during her trip.
Also on Friday, Taiwan reported its first case linked to the outbreak in China, in a woman in her 40s who had recently returned from Foshan and Shenzhen.
A day after returning to Taiwan she developed a fever, rash and pain in her limbs. Officials said she was admitted to the hospital. She also reported being bitten by mosquitoes.
Chikungunya virus can only be spread via the bites of mosquitoes and cannot be passed from human to human.
People infected with the virus suffer from a sudden high fever, normally around 103 Fahrenheit (39 Celsius), which happens within two to seven days of infection.
They may also suffer from a rash, headache, nausea, fatigue and joint pain.
In serious cases, patients may suffer from pain in the hands and feet that is so bad it leaves them struggling to carry out normal activities.
It is rarely fatal, but can leave people with lifelong complications including joint inflammation and pain that lasts for years.
Patients who are very young, elderly or have underlying conditions are most at risk because of their weakened immune systems.
There is no treatment for the virus, with doctors instead using over-the-counter painkillers, fluids and rest to ease symptoms. There are two vaccines available.
The US records more than 100 cases of chikungunya virus every year, with almost all normally linked to travelers returning from abroad before testing positive for the virus.
Experts are concerned, however, that an infected individual could be bitten by a mosquito, which would then become infected and pass the disease on to others.
A total of 45 chikungunya cases have been reported in the US this year, although none have been linked to the outbreak in China.
