CDC warns of mosquito-borne chikungunya outbreak in southeast China
US health officials have issued travelers to a disease transmitted by mosquitoes, transmitted in parts of southeast China.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that there was an epidemic of Chikungunya in the province of Guangdong. Most of the cases have been reported in the city of Foshan.
Most people infected with the virus develop fever, joint pain, headache, muscle pain, rash, swelling of the joints and other symptoms, the CDC said on a travel warning on Friday. Symptoms usually start three to seven days after a person was bitten by an infected mosquito.
The CDC said most people recover in about a week and that there is no treatment. In some cases, severe joint pain may last for several months to years after an acute illness.
Newborns and the elderly, as well as people with medical problems such as heart disease and diabetes, are more prone to serious illness. Death is rare, said CDC.
China held a national conference last month on the means of preventing and treating the virus. From July 20 to July 26, 2,940 new local cases were reported in the Guangdong province, a national Chinese health commission said on Thursday in a press release. The cases were light, without any report of serious illness or death.
Insectives and wearing clothes covering the skin can help protect people from mosquito bites. Vaccination is recommended for people who visit areas with epidemics, the CDC said. There are two vaccines approved in the United States.
The virus was detected for the first time in Tanzania in 1952, according to the World Health Organization. Since 2004, epidemics have become more frequent and widespread.
It was found in Asia, Africa, Europe and North and South America.
