Doctors have found 1,387 new cases of chikungunya virus infection in southern China's Guangdong province in the past week, the regional center for disease control and prevention said in a report for the period from August 3 to 9.
Most of the infections (1,212) were found in Foshan city, which was the center of the disease in early July. 103 cases have been registered in the provincial capital of Guangzhou.
Enhanced preventive measures have been taken in the region and targeted destruction of mosquitoes carrying the virus is underway.
The outbreak of the chikungunya virus occurred in Guangdong province in early July during hot and humid weather, which is conducive to mosquito breeding. The total number of cases of fever detected in southern China exceeds 8,000. In addition, doctors have identified more than 100 cases of dengue. Infected people have also been registered in Guangzhou, Macau, Hong Kong and other cities. Most of them have already experienced a mild form of the fever.
This extremely painful and paralyzing disease literally bends a person in half. Medicine still does not know a cure or vaccine for chikungunya. The incubation period is usually from 3 to 12 days. The onset of the disease is always sudden - the temperature rises sharply, chills, back and joint pain, rash appear. The carriers are two types of mosquitoes - Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.