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Here is everything the World Health Organization has said astir the Chikungunya virus, arsenic China enforces 'pandemic measures' aft an outbreak rocked the East Asian nation.
Yesterday (5 August), it was revealed that implicit 7,000 cases of the Chikungunya microorganism had been reported successful China, with 3,000 of these cases occurring successful the past week alone.
It's understood that the confederate state of Guangdong has been deed the hardest by the illness. Infections person besides been reported successful 12 different cities crossed the region.
The crisp emergence successful cases has prompted authorities successful the portion to respond with 'decisive and forceful measures' to incorporate the outbreak, akin to tactics utilized during 2020's COVID-19 outbreak.
Over 7,000 cases of the Chikungunya microorganism person been reported successful China (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
What is the Chikungunya virus?
Chikungunya is simply a microorganism which is dispersed to humans by mosquitoes.
First detected successful 1952, the microorganism is carried by pistillate Aedes mosquitoes and is contiguous successful Africa, Asia and the Americas. These circumstantial mosquitoes besides transportation illnesses specified arsenic Dengue fever and Zika virus, making the illness often hard to diagnose.
What are the symptoms of the Chikungunya virus?
According to WHO guidance, symptoms of Chikungunya statesman to contiguous astir 4 and 8 days aft transmission and see a abrupt fever and associated pain.
Other symptoms include:
- muscle pain
- headache
- nausea
- fatigue
- rash
Symptoms typically past for a mates of days; however, successful immoderate cases, they tin past for a fig of weeks, months, oregon adjacent years.
The viral unwellness is dispersed by mosquito bites (Getty Stock Images)
How galore cases of Chikungunya microorganism person been reported?
The existent outbreak successful China has seen 7,000 cases reported successful the state of Guangdong, with the epicentre being successful Foshan. Infections person besides been reported successful 12 different cities crossed the region.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong reported its archetypal lawsuit of the microorganism connected Monday (4 August), with a 12-year-old lad falling sick aft travelling to Foshan.
China is present pushing hard to incorporate the virus, including the merchandise of mosquito-killing food and fines for anyone who fails to region stagnant h2o from their home.
What has the World Health Organization said astir Chikungunya virus?
The uptick successful cases is presently being monitored by the WHO, with aesculapian serviceman Diana Rojas Alvarez saying the illness puts '5.6 cardinal radical astatine risk'.
"Chikungunya is not a illness that is wide known, but it has been detected and transmitted successful 119 countries globally, putting 5.6 cardinal radical astatine risk," Alvarez said successful July (via Science Alert), pursuing a large outbreak successful La Réunion.
Authorities successful confederate China are taking beardown measures to curb transmissions (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
"We are seeing past repeating itself," she continued, referencing erstwhile outbreaks successful 2004 and 2005. "Epidemic transmission is besides occurring successful South Asia.
"We are raising the alarm aboriginal truthful countries tin hole early, observe and fortify each the capacities to debar going done precise ample outbreaks."
Could the Chikungunya microorganism dispersed to different countries?
Given the quality of coronavirus to wholly unopen down the satellite conscionable 5 years ago, it's understandable wherefore reports astir Chikungunya volition beryllium a origin for concern.
However, it's important to enactment that, dissimilar COVID-19, Chikungunya isn't an airborne virus, which means it cannot dispersed successful the aforesaid way.
Aedes mosquitoes are besides not contiguous successful the UK, which means the lone accidental the microorganism has of reaching our shores is from returning travellers who've been infected portion abroad.
The illness is not airborne similar COVID-19 (Getty Stock Images)
"There is presently nary Chikungunya transmission successful the UK, with each identified cases being related to question and having been imported into the UK," guidance shared by the UK authorities states.
Travellers heading to countries wherever mosquitoes are contiguous are besides reminded to travel 'standard wound avoidance measures' specified arsenic utilizing mosquito repellent with 50 percent DEET, sleeping nether mosquito nets and wearing agelong trousers.
