China tackles chikungunya virus outbreak with wide range of measures as thousands fall ill

By AP August 9, 2025 | 05:40 pm PT

Residents walk past a residential entrance gate displaying a slogan urging mosquito control, in Guangzhou, China's Guangdong Province, on Aug 6, 2025. Photo by AP

An outbreak of the chikungunya virus in China has prompted authorities to take preventive measures from mosquito nets and clouds of disinfectant, threatening fines for people who fail to disperse standing water and even deploying drones to hunt down insect breeding grounds.

More than 7,000 cases of the disease have been reported as of Wednesday (Aug 6), focused largely on the manufacturing hub of Foshan near Hong Kong, which has reported only one case. The number of new cases appears to be dropping slowly, according to authorities.

Chikungunya is spread by mosquitoes and causes fever and joint pain, similar to dengue fever, with the young, older people and those with pre-existing medical conditions most at risk.

Chinese state television has shown workers spraying clouds of disinfectant around city streets, residential areas, construction sites and other areas where people may come into contact with virus-bearing mosquitoes that are born in standing water.

Workers sprayed some places before entering office buildings, a throwback to China’s hardline tactics used to battle the Covid virus.

People who do not empty bottles, flower pots or other outdoor receptacles can be subject to fines of up to 10,000 yuan (US$1,400) and have their electricity cut off.

The United States has issued a travel advisory telling citizens not to visit China's Guangdong province, the location of Donguan and several other business hubs, along with countries such as Bolivia and island nations in the Indian Ocean. Brazil is among the other countries hit hard by the virus.

Heavy rains and high temperatures have worsened the crisis in China, which is generally common in tropical areas but came on unusually strong this year.

China has become adept at coercive measures that many nations consider over-the-top since the deadly 2003 SARS outbreak. This time, patients are being forced to stay in the hospital in Foshan for a minimum of one week and authorities briefly enforced a two-week home quarantine, which was dropped since the disease cannot be transmitted between people.

Reports also have emerged of attempts to stop the virus spread with fish that eat mosquito larvae and even larger mosquitoes to eat the insects carrying the virus.