Khaberni - Chinese epidemiologists have revealed more than 3000 new cases of Chikungunya fever in the southern province of Guangdong within a week, according to data published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
A statement on the center's website said that "3181 new cases of Chikungunya fever were detected in the province from September 28 to October 4. No serious cases or fatalities have been recorded".
The statement indicated that the highest number of infections was recorded in the cities of Jiangmen with 2480 cases, Foshan with 157 cases, Guangzhou with 138 cases, Zhaoqing with 101, and in Shenzhen with 81 cases.
Kang Min, the chief expert on infectious disease prevention at the Guangdong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, explained that the recent outbreak of Chikungunya fever in Jiangmen city prompted the local authorities to activate a level three public health emergency response mechanism and conduct comprehensive prevention and control measures, which helped to contain the spread of the epidemic; however, the infection rate remains high.
Kang Min previously mentioned that the active mosquito season continues in Guangdong province from September to October, and with the impact of typhoons and heavy rains, as well as the National Day holiday from October 1 to 8 to celebrate the founding of China and the Mid-Autumn Festival, the movement of populations increases, exacerbating the risk of transmission and spread of Chikungunya.
The official spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gu Jiakong, previously stated that Chikungunya fever in China is controllable and preventable, affirming that the Chinese side will continue to provide protection from the epidemic and safety and comfort for foreign tourists.
The Russian Union of Tourism Industry's press service previously announced that insurance companies have not recorded any cases of Chikungunya fever among Russian tourists in China.
Chikungunya fever is a viral infection transmitted to humans through bites of blood-sucking insects. The main carriers of the disease are the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can also transmit other viral fever pathogens, including yellow fever and dengue.
The tropical regions in Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean islands, where annual seasonal outbreaks of the infection are recorded, as well as Mexico and Guatemala, are the natural areas for the spread of Chikungunya fever.
