WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a travel health notice for China after a major rise in cases of chikungunya, a disease spread by mosquitoes that causes sudden fever and severe joint pain.
Since early July, China has reported over 8,000 cases, mainly in Guangdong province, as per The Washington Post. The CDC has given a Level 2 alert, which means travelers should take extra precautions to protect themselves. They can protect themselves by wearing long sleeves and pants, using insect repellent, and staying in screened or air-conditioned rooms.
Older adults are at higher risk, and a vaccine for chikungunya is currently paused for people over 60. As a result, prevention mostly relies on avoiding mosquito bites, which is difficult in crowded and humid areas like Guangdong.
Notably, China doesn't have access to the two approved vaccines, but the government is taking measures like quarantining, spraying insecticides with drones, and adding fish to ponds to eat mosquito larvae.
This situation highlights the need for faster responses to outbreaks and long-term efforts to fight climate change, which is making these diseases harder to control.
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