Chikungunya virus: Alarming surge in Chinese cases sparks global concern
A new virus that’s had growing cases in China has reached another country, after sparking mass quarantines. See the symptoms, where it’s spread and the latest travel advice.
A potentially deadly virus has continued to spread in China, Hong Kong and now Taiwan, which has forced US health officials to issue new warnings.
Nearly 3000 new chikungunya virus infections have been reported in at least 12 other cities in Guangdong just over the past week, bringing the total to more than 10,000 in the country.
More than 7000 chikungunya virus infections have been reported in the city Foshan alone, leading to mass hospital quarantines and other measures similar to those taken during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The US Centre for Disease Control and prevention has now issued a Level 2 travel notice for China, along with Brazil, Colombia, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the Philippines.
Taiwan reported its first confirmed case of chikungunya fever on Friday, after a Taiwanese woman travelled from Foshan.
Hong Kong confirmed its first case of the virus on Monday, a 12-year-old boy who developed symptoms after visiting Foshan in July.
Patients of the virus are being covered with mosquito nets and are required to stay there for a week, or until they test negative.
Locals have been asked to empty any trapped, still water, such as flower pots and empty bottles in a bid to decimate insect breeding grounds.
A fine of up to $A2142 is applicable if residents fail to comply with any restrictions.
Here’s what you need to know about the disease:
HOW IS THE VIRUS TRANSMITTED?
Chikungunya is caused by a virus carried by infected mosquitoes – including the Dengue mosquito and the Asian Tiger mosquito. The mosquito contracts the virus when it bites someone with chikungunya, it can then pass it on to other people it bites a few days later, according to healthdirect.
Pregnant women who become infected can also potentially pass the virus to their baby during birth.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF THE VIRUS?
Symptoms usually manifest within three to seven days after a bite from an infected mosquito, but it can take up to 12 days, according to healthdirect.
Common symptoms include joint pain, joint swelling and stiffness, and fever.
Other symptoms can include muscle pain, headache, a rash, nausea, and tiredness.
HOW LONG DOES THE VIRUS LAST?
Most people fully recover within one to two weeks, although some may have symptoms such as joint pain and tiredness for several months or even years, according to healthdirect.
Deaths are rare, but some severe complications involving the heart and nervous system do occasionally occur – especially in older people affected by other health conditions.
IS THE VIRUS CURABLE?
There is no specific cure for chikungunya, but anti-inflammatory medicines, paracetamol, or acetaminophen, are used to address symptoms by providing pain relief and reducing fever, according to the World Health Organisation.
SHOULD AUSTRALIA BE CONCERNED?
Chikungunya is recognised as a nationally notifiable mosquito-borne disease in Australia, but there are no local reports of transmission, according to a Department of Health, Disability and Ageing spokesperson.
They also stated:
*Human cases of mosquito-borne illness are monitored using the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS).
*The infection is regularly reported in travellers returning from overseas.
*Chikungunya is primarily transmitted by vectors Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti established in some parts of the Torres Strait and Australia. Ongoing public health and vector control measures by state and territory jurisdictions include follow-up of notifications in humans, surveillance and control of Ae. Albopictus and Ae. Aegypti in parts of the Torres Strait and mainland Australia.
*The interim Australian CDC continues to monitor mosquito-borne diseases in countries geographically close to Australia and those frequently visited by Australian residents.
*It also actively tracks current international outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases such as chikungunya in China.
While assuring that the chance of an outbreak in Australia was “low”, ANU infectious diseases specialist Dr Sanjaya Senanayake said there were concerns around the Aedes mosquito in northern Australia.
“It is possible for someone carrying the Chikungunya virus in their blood to arrive in central or northern Queensland from overseas, get bitten by an Aedes mosquito here, which in turn causes a case of Chikungunya in a local, who hasn’t left Australia,” Dr Senanayake told SkyNews.com.au.
“This happens sometimes with dengue outbreaks (another virus transmitted by the Aedes mosquito, where the virus itself isn’t endemic to Australia).”
WHERE ELSE HAS THE VIRUS BEEN DETECTED?
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, around 240,000 chikungunya cases and 90 related deaths have been recorded in 16 countries this year, as of August 4.
Outbreaks were reported in the Indian Ocean islands of La Réunion, Mayotte and Mauritius. it has also been detected in Madagascar, Somalia, Kenya and India. Cases have been seen in Samoa, Tonga, French Polynesia, Fiji and Kiribati.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE THE VIRUS?
If you feel unwell and have a fever after travelling to a tropical area, it is best to see your doctor if you have symptoms of chikungunya or if you are concerned, according to healthdirect. Your doctor can then examine you and perform a blood test to confirm if you have the disease. Symptoms can be similar to many other mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever, Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus – so the blood test is key to diagnosis.
WHAT CAN I DO TO PROTECT MYSELF?
International travellers are advised to wear insect repellent, cover up with long clothing, and stay in air-conditioned or screened accommodation to avoid mosquito bites.
WHAT IS THE TRAVEL ADVICE FOR CHINA?
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Level 2 travel notice for those going to China. The notice advices travellers to “practice enhanced precautions” and urged them to get vaccinated before going. While a vaccine called Ixchiq has been approved in the United States, it is not yet available in Australia. The main preventive measure for Australians is to avoid mosquito bites when travelling to regions where chikungunya is prevalent.
HOW IS CHINA ADDRESSING THE OUTBREAK?
Chinese soldiers are treating public spaces with insecticides and “elephant mosquitoes” who’s larvae can eat the infected mosquitoes larvae have been released.
Mosquito-eating fish have also been released into Foshan’s public ponds to address the mosquito population.
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Originally published as Chikungunya virus: Alarming surge in Chinese cases sparks global concern
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