What is the chikungunya virus, how are countries such as China battling it?

United States wellness officials are urging travellers to remain vigilant arsenic a mosquito-borne microorganism continues to circulate crossed parts of Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Indian Ocean.

Since the opening of 2025, determination person been astir 240,000 chikungunya virus infections and 90 deaths successful 16 countries, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

In China, an outbreak has infected astir 7,000 radical since precocious June, with astir cases concentrated successful the metropolis of Foshan, successful Guangdong province, conscionable northbound of Hong Kong. This marks the country’s largest chikungunya outbreak since the microorganism was archetypal identified determination successful 2008.

Here is what we cognize astir the illness and however it is spreading.

What is the chikungunya virus?

Chikungunya is simply a viral illness that is dispersed done the wound of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. These mosquitoes besides transportation and dispersed dengue, yellowish fever and the Zika virus.

The name, chikungunya, derives from a connection successful the Kimakonde language, spoken successful Tanzania and Mozambique, meaning “to go contorted”.

In astir cases, patients volition consciousness amended wrong a week. In galore cases, however, the associated symptom tin past for months oregon adjacent years.

There is nary cure for the chikungunya virus, but deaths are rare. If an infected mosquito bites a steadfast human, it injects the microorganism into the bloodstream.

People astir astatine hazard of superior unwellness from chikungunya see newborns, older adults and those with existing wellness problems specified arsenic bosom illness oregon diabetes.

There is nary cure for the chikungunya virus, but the decease complaint is low, but successful high-risk populations.

If an infected mosquito bites a steadfast human, it injects the microorganism into the bloodstream. If a non-infected mosquito bites a idiosyncratic who is already infected, it sucks the microorganism from that person’s humor and becomes a bearer susceptible of transmitting the microorganism to others done bites.

How atrocious is the existent dispersed of the virus?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the existent surge successful cases began successful aboriginal 2025, with large outbreaks successful Indian Ocean Islands, including La Reunion, Mayotte and Mauritius.

In La Reunion, much than 47,500 cases of chikungunya and 12 associated deaths were reported up to May 2025, with sustained precocious transmission crossed the island, according to the WHO. The ECDC besides reports that arsenic of July 18, determination were much than 54,000 cases reported from La Reunion.

This is present the astir superior chikungunya outbreak successful La Reunion since the 2005–2006 epidemic, which saw an estimated 244,000 to much than 300,000 cases, and prompted large-scale nationalist wellness efforts to power mosquito breeding and bounds transmission.

The microorganism has besides dispersed to different countries, including Madagascar, Somalia and Kenya, and has shown signs of epidemic-level transmission successful parts of Southeast Asia, arsenic good arsenic India, wherever fiscal superior Mumbai has seen a surge successful cases since July.

The WHO has besides raised concerns astir the rising fig of imported chikungunya cases successful Europe. Since May 1, astir 800 imported cases person been reported successful mainland France.

According to the ECDC, the Americas arsenic a portion person reported the highest fig of chikungunya cases globally. As of mid-July 2025, the countries with the astir cases successful the portion see Brazil (185,553), Bolivia (4,721), Argentina (2,836) and Peru (55).

In China, infections person been reported successful astatine slightest 12 cities crossed confederate Guangdong province, successful summation to Foshan.

Chinese authorities said that an “imported lawsuit triggered section transmission” successful July, but did not specify wherever the corruption originated. According to experts, rising planetary temperatures person led to warmer and wetter weather, allowing mosquitoes to thrive.

Separately, connected Saturday, Hong Kong confirmed its archetypal lawsuit of chikungunya: a 12-year-old lad who developed a fever, rash and associated symptom since July 31, aft visiting Foshan. This was the territory’s archetypal lawsuit of the microorganism successful six years.

How are China and different countries warring the spread?

According to a Bloomberg quality report, China has promised to instrumentality swift and decisive enactment to incorporate the dispersed of the chikungunya virus.

Drones are being utilized to find places wherever mosquitoes are breeding. At the aforesaid time, scientists are releasing ample “elephant mosquitoes” – astir 2cm (0.8 inches) agelong – whose larvae devour the smaller mosquitoes that dispersed the virus. Health experts anticipation these mosquito helpers volition play an important relation successful stopping the outbreak.

According to a study by the BBC, residents of affected areas successful China person been ordered to destruct lasting h2o successful and astir their homes – including successful flowerpots, java machines and bare bottles. Noncompliance whitethorn effect successful fines of up to 10,000 yuan (approximately $1,400), and successful much superior cases, radical could look transgression charges for “obstructing the prevention of infectious diseases”.

Citing section sources, The New York Times said that successful immoderate instances, infected residents successful Foshan are being moved to “quarantine wards”, wherever they are kept down mosquito nets and screens. Some patients besides accidental they were fixed nary prime but to question attraction astatine their ain expense.

In different places, specified arsenic La Reunion and Mayotte, authorities person besides launched enhanced surveillance, mosquito power initiatives and targeted vaccination efforts.

The Basque Country successful Spain activated preventive protocols aft a lawsuit was detected successful Hendaye, conscionable crossed the borderline successful France. The protocols see accrued surveillance successful borderline towns and encouraging radical to marque reports done apps specified arsenic Mosquito Alert.

How tin chikungunya beryllium prevented and treated?

Health authorities counsel protecting oneself against mosquito bites arsenic the astir effectual strategy against the dispersed of chikungunya.

This whitethorn impact wearing agelong sleeves and trousers, applying mosquito repellents, removing bodies of lasting h2o wherever mosquitoes tin breed, and staying successful closed, air-conditioned spaces indoors oregon down mosquito netting erstwhile outdoors.

While determination are nary circumstantial medicines to dainty the virus, rest, fluids and symptom relievers whitethorn assistance alleviate symptoms, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

However, immoderate symptom relievers whitethorn beryllium unsafe during a suspected infection. The CDC recommends avoiding non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) until dengue is ruled out, arsenic they tin rise the hazard of bleeding.

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are examined astatine the entomology section of the Health Ministry, successful Guatemala City, Guatemala, successful 2024 [File: Josue Decavele/Reuters]