From August 3 to August 9, Guangdong Province reported 1,387 local cases of chikungunya fever, with no severe or fatal cases.

The cases were distributed as follows: 1,212 in Foshan, 103 in Guangzhou, 39 in Zhanjiang, 6 in Qingyuan, 5 each in Shenzhen and Zhuhai, 4 in Zhongshan, 3 in Huizhou, 2 each in Shaoguan and Dongguan, and 1 each in Shantou, Jiangmen, Yangjiang, Chaozhou, Jieyang, and Yunfu.

Kang Min, the director of the Institute of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control at the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that the rapid spread of the epidemic in Foshan has been initially contained, with prevention and control efforts further strengthened.

The number of new cases provincewide has been declining. However, due to the virus's wide spread, high global incidence of chikungunya fever, and increased mosquito activity from typhoons and rainfall during the flood season, prevention and control efforts cannot be relaxed.

On August 9, the Guangdong Provincial Meteorological Bureau and the Guangdong Provincial Disease Prevention and Control Bureau jointly released the mosquito activity meteorological index for the new week.

Regions are color-coded to indicate mosquito activity levels: red represents areas where mosquitoes are highly active, orange indicates active areas, and yellow denotes relatively active areas. (Photo: Guangdong Weather)

Mosquito activity is predicted to be widespread across Guangdong  next week  (August 9 to August 16) with high activity in densely populated areas, including the Pearl River Delta, eastern Guangdong, and western Guangdong, and moderate activity in parts of northern Guangdong.

In regions with very high mosquito activity, current temperatures are highly favorable for mosquito breeding. For individuals who need to spend extended periods outdoors or engage in long-duration activities during peak mosquito hours, it is suggested to wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants or to apply mosquito repellent to exposed skin to minimize direct exposure to bites.

Various measures lead to fewer new Chikungunya cases in south China

A staff member sprays insecticide at Zhuangtou Village in Shunde, Foshan City, south China's Guangdong Province, July 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan)

For the past five days, Foshan has recorded fewer than 200 new cases each day, signaling early containment success, Wen Xi, the city's vice mayor, told a press conference.

No severe cases or fatalities have been reported to date, and more than 90 percent of all cases have recovered, Wen noted.

Recent efforts have focused on patient treatment, mosquito control and environmental cleanup. Specific measures include the targeted elimination of mosquito breeding grounds, the drainage of stagnant water and the extermination of adult mosquitoes. Disinfection work has been carried out in villages and neighborhoods that have reported high case numbers.

Despite the progress, authorities warn that challenges remain. Heavy rainfall during the annual flood season, coupled with typhoons, can boost mosquito activity and increase the risk of Chikungunya transmission.

"We will continue to promote public health campaigns, remove breeding sites and maintain strong mosquito control measures to consolidate the results achieved so far," Wen said.

Foshan, Zhongshan, Zhanjiang in S.China’s Guangdong launch citywide health campaigns to curb chikungunya spread

Zhongshan and Zhanjiang, in South China’s Guangdong Province, will begin a health campaign on Friday to prevent the spread of chikungunya fever and other mosquito-borne diseases, following a citywide health campaign conducted throughout Foshan on Thursday.

As part of the campaign, government departments, enterprises and institutions, village and community organizations, residential compounds, factories, commercial tenants and individuals are urged to take coordinated action to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds. Measures include environmental cleanups, removal of stagnant water from containers and ensuring full coverage with no blind spots, according to the Foshan local authorities.

According to the notice released via the Zhongshan city government's WeChat account, the actions include: carrying out environmental sanitation improvement activities, conducting mosquito eradication efforts, targeting sanitation blind spots, and organizing public education activities.

In Zhongshan, all towns and subdistricts should organize professional teams to spray insecticides to eliminate adult mosquitoes in locations such as drainage outlets, underground parking garages in residential communities, construction sites, schools, stairwells in residential buildings, and storage rooms. Residents are also encouraged to use aerosol insecticides, mosquito coils at home for mosquito control, according to the notice.

Zhanjiang will also carry out a citywide health campaign.

The chikungunya fever is transmitted through bites from infected Aedes mosquitoes and does not spread directly from person to person, Lu Hongzhou, head of the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, told the Global Times on Friday. Climate factors, viral evolution, and human mobility are major drivers of the virus’s spread, said Lu.

An effective response requires integrated strategies combining vaccine development, vector control, early warning systems, and other measures to curb transmission and reduce its health and socioeconomic impact, said Lu.