Another mosquito-borne disease is on the loose, as cases involving the Chikungunya virus continue to multiply in Southern China. The Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) has recently escalated as a public health risk in China's Guangdong Province, with 8,000 cases confirmed over the past few weeks.
Spread by infected mosquitoes, the virus causes fever and intense joint pain. Other accompanying symptoms may include muscle pain, headaches, rashes, and in occasional cases, eye, heart, and neurological problems. Although the virus is generally not fatal, some who get infected may be left with joint pain for weeks, months, or even years.
Here’s what else to know about the current outbreak in China and what it means for travelers.
The Chikungunya virus is spread when infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes bite humans, although it cannot be spread from human to human. The virus usually circulates in tropical areas, but has also spread to ...
