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 Rise of Chikungunya
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 subtropical regions like Southern China since Aedes albopictus has adapted to cooler environments.
According to the World Health Organization, CHIKV was first identified in Tanzania in 1952, and urban outbreaks first surfaced in Asia in the 1970s. In 2004, a major outbreak of the East/Central/South African (ECSA) lineage of the virus emerged in Kenya and eventually spread to parts of India and Southeast Asia.
Chikungunya has become embedded in new regions since the 2004 outbreak, its expansion exacerbated by climate change. The virus has become a serious public health risk in the Americas, in particular; the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reports that Brazil accounts for the most CHIKV cases in 2025, with over 180,000.
Chikungunya, however, is not expected to be a problem in the U.S. The ECDC lists the U.S. as having only 47 reported cases in 2025 so far. All of these cases are travel-related, as the CDC states that locally acquired cases haven’t been reported in the country since 2019.
Read More: Genetically Modified Mosquitoes May Protect The World From Disease
Chikungunya Outbreak in China
The Chikungunya outbreak in China began around mid-June and intensified throughout July. The virus has been spreading rapidly in the city of Foshan and the surrounding areas of Guangdong Province.
A sharp increase in CHIKV cases has prompted authorities to enact containment measures, including quarantines, household inspections, and drone-based fogging to eliminate infected mosquitoes.
The CDC currently has a Level 2 travel health warning in place for the Chikungunya outbreak in China, recommending that travelers practice enhanced precautions. Those who are visiting Southern China are advised to protect against mosquitoes by using insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants, and staying in air-conditioned places with screens on windows and doors.
In addition to Guangdong Province, China, CDC travel warnings for current Chikungunya outbreaks are also given for the following places: Bolivia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Réunion, Somalia, and Sri Lanka.
Preventing and Treating Chikungunya
There are two approved vaccines for Chikungunya in the U.S.: IXCHIQ (for use in individuals 18 years or older) and VIMKUNYA (for use in individuals 12 years or older). The CDC notes that individuals 65 years or older with one or more chronic medical conditions should take precautions with the IXCHIQ vaccine (which contains live, attenuated CHIKV), as they may be at increased risk of serious chikungunya-like illness following vaccination.
Since there is no antiviral treatment for CHIKV infections, treatment is mostly geared toward alleviating symptoms of fever and pain with antipyretic and analgesic medications.
As Chinese authorities work to put a stop to Chikungunya’s spread, discussion surrounding its potential to ignite a pandemic is growing louder. But there likely won’t ever be a Chikungunya outbreak on the same level as the COVID-19 pandemic, since the virus does not spread from human to human. However, health experts will be watching the virus closely in the future, as large regions may be vulnerable to a greater risk of Chikungunya outbreaks as the range of infected mosquitoes expands.
This article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.
Read More: One Small Genetic Tweak May Stop Mosquitoes from Spreading Malaria
Article Sources
Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:
