Taipei (Taiwan): China has rolled out a sweeping range of preventive and coercive measures to contain a growing outbreak of the chikungunya virus, which has already infected more than 7,000 people, largely centred around the manufacturing hub of Foshan near Hong Kong.
In response to the mosquito-borne disease, authorities have ramped up disinfection efforts, threatened heavy penalties for non-compliance, and even deployed drones to locate mosquito breeding grounds. Though the number of new infections appears to be declining, officials remain on high alert.
Chikungunya, a viral illness transmitted by mosquitoes, causes fever and severe joint pain, bearing similarities to dengue fever. The young, the elderly, and individuals with pre-existing health conditions are particularly vulnerable.
Chinese state media have broadcast images of workers dispersing thick clouds of disinfectant in city streets, construction zones, residential complexes, and other public areas where mosquitoes are likely to breed in stagnant water. In some locations, spraying was carried out at building entrances, echoing the country’s strict and controversial public health tactics previously seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an effort to eliminate breeding sites, citizens have been advised to remove standing water from containers such as flower pots and empty bottles. Failure to comply can result in fines of up to 10,000 yuan (approximately USD 1,400) and even electricity cutoffs. Drones are being utilised to spot and report potential breeding grounds that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Foshan has become the epicentre of the outbreak, though Hong Kong has reported only one confirmed case. Heavy rainfall and soaring summer temperatures have worsened the crisis in China, a country where the virus is not typically widespread but has surged unusually this year.
The United States has issued a travel advisory warning citizens against visiting China’s Guangdong province, home to Dongguan and other major industrial centres, as well as countries like Bolivia, Brazil, and several Indian Ocean island nations that are also seeing a spike in chikungunya cases.
China, drawing on its experience with past outbreaks such as SARS in 2003, has employed coercive health measures that some countries view as excessive. In Foshan, patients diagnosed with the virus are being held in hospitals for at least a week, even though the disease is not transmitted between people. A two-week home quarantine order was briefly enforced but later withdrawn after experts confirmed that human-to-human transmission is not possible.
In a more unconventional approach, authorities have also introduced mosquito-eating fish and even larger mosquito species to reduce the population of virus-carrying insects.
National-level meetings have been convened and official health protocols adopted in a clear signal of Beijing’s determination to stamp out the outbreak and stave off both domestic unrest and international criticism.
Despite the strict controls, authorities remain optimistic that the outbreak can be brought under control if the current momentum is maintained.
With PTI inputs