Beijing [China], August 11: Yangcheng Evening News reported on August 10 that in the previous seven days, health officials in China's Guangdong province recorded 1,387 new cases of chikungunya infection.
The number of new chikungunya cases in Guangdong has dropped from nearly 3,000 new cases per week in the previous two weeks, according to the Global Times on the evening of August 10, citing information from Yangcheng Evening News.
The rapid increase in chikungunya cases in Foshan City, the hardest-hit area, has been brought under preliminary control, and recent prevention and control achievements have been further consolidated, Yangcheng Evening News quoted Kang Min, director of the Institute of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control of the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Guangdong CDC), as saying.
The weekly new chikungunya cases mainly occurred in some areas of Guangdong province, with 1,212 cases in Foshan, 103 cases in Guangzhou and 39 cases in Zhanjiang, according to the Guangdong CDC.
On August 9, Foshan officials announced at a press conference that efforts to prevent chikungunya have achieved initial results, according to Yangcheng Evening News .
Foshan Vice Mayor Wen Xi said the number of new chikungunya fever cases reported daily in the city fell to 148 on Aug. 8, down from 647 on July 19, the peak day of the outbreak. The number of new chikungunya cases reported in Foshan has been falling steadily since July 29, with the daily tally falling below 200 for the past five consecutive days.
According to Mr. Kang, the mosquito density has been significantly reduced and the risk of transmission has been controlled in Foshan City thanks to repeated clean-ups of mosquito breeding sites and enhanced mosquito control in affected areas. The mosquito density in most villages and communities involved in the outbreak has been sharply reduced, significantly reducing the risk of transmission in the community.
Meanwhile, the South China Morning Post reported on the afternoon of August 10 that Hong Kong health officials have warned that the risk of chikungunya transmission in Hong Kong is increasing as more and more Asian tourist destinations popular with Hong Kong people have also recorded cases of chikungunya.
Hong Kong's Director of Health Ronald Lam Man-kin also highlighted the challenges in preventing the spread of chikungunya on August 10, pointing out that the incubation period in mosquitoes is "significantly shorter", which allows the chikungunya virus to multiply more quickly.
Mr Lam issued the warning after Hong Kong had five confirmed cases of chikungunya, according to the South China Morning Post .
Also on August 10, the Vietnamese Ministry of Health said that the chikungunya epidemic is on the rise in some countries in the region, especially in China.
To proactively prevent and control chikungunya, the Ministry of Health recommends that people returning from countries and regions where chikungunya is on the rise should proactively monitor their health for 12 days. If there are any unusual signs (such as sudden high fever, joint pain, rash, etc.), they should immediately go to a medical facility for examination, consultation and timely treatment. People traveling or working in areas where chikungunya is on the rise should proactively prevent mosquito bites. Proactively monitor their health and notify health authorities if they have symptoms similar to chikungunya.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper