Southern region hit by outbreak of mosquito-borne infection chikungunya

China is experiencing an outbreak of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne infection, with thousands of cases reported in the south.

Chikungunya fever cases jumped to 4,014 on Friday, representing a rapid rise in numbers since authorities started tracking cases two weeks ago, according to public records released by health departments in districts in Foshan.

The city in China’s southern province Guangdong has been heavily impacted by the surge in infections.

The chikungunya outbreak remains “quite severe,” Sun Yang, deputy director of the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a news conference last weekin Foshan.

Chikungunya is spread to people by the bites of infected mosquitoes. It causes fever and severe joint pain, but deaths are rare, according to the World Health Organization.

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that the epidemic was “imported” without specifying from where.

Shunde district in Foshan, where 90% of the cases are located, is famous for its Cantonese food, and sees many visitors each year.

Patients who tested positive for chikungunya fever stayed in hospital beds covered by mosquito nets, according to photos shown on state-run broadcaster CCTV.

Local media reports said late last week that local authorities had almost doubled the number of mosquito-proof isolation beds to 7,220 to meet the growing demand. The country’s first case was imported in 1987, according to research papers and media reports.

FU TING, MDT/AP