China has now recorded 10,000 cases of the “agonising” chikungunya virus as the outbreak reaches the highest level on record.
The southern manufacturing hub of Foshan in Guangdong province remains the worst-affected area for the mosquito-borne virus.
PICTURED: A drone sprays insecticide on plants in China amid the chikungunya virus outbreak | GETTYHong Kong has seen a 66-year-old woman who visited Foshan between late July and early August develop symptoms upon her return.
Taiwan’s initial case involves a woman in her forties who had travelled to Foshan and Shenzhen.
American health officials have now confirmed they are evaluating the outbreak’s scope and progression.
A spokesman for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 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 implemented a level two advisory for the region, recommending heightened precautions for American travellers.
The US has documented 45 chikungunya infections this year, though none are believed to be connected to the Chinese outbreak.
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PICTURED: A Hong Kong official sprays down a public park amid the chikungunya outbreak. The former British colony has seen a 66-year-old woman who visited Foshan between late July and early August develop symptoms
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REUTERS
China has been forced to bring in “Covid-style” strategies not witnessed since the pandemic – including mandatory hospital isolation for infected individuals.
Officials have also been seen spraying insecticide in public spaces and deploying aerial drones to spray down targets.
Elsewhere, biological control methods have been brought in, including mosquitoes engineered to reduce populations and predatory fish species to eliminate larvae.
As a result, data from the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicates the outbreak could be slowing.
The most recent weekly count recorded 1,387 new infections, marking a significant reduction from the prior week’s 2,892 cases.
Officials have been seen spraying insecticide in public spaces
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GETTY
Foshan continues to bear the brunt of the outbreak, registering 1,212 of the newly confirmed cases.
Guangzhou, the province’s most populous city, reported 103 infections, whilst Zhanjiang documented 39 cases.
The outbreak is thought to have peaked between July 20-26, when authorities documented 2,940 infections.
Chinese health authorities have reported no fatalities or instances of severe illness throughout the outbreak period.
