China’s health authorities have reported a major surge in patients suffering from chikungunya fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease, in the country’s southern Guangdong province.
The outbreak has rekindled global anxiety over widespread infections, five years after COVID-19 first emerged in China and disrupted lives and businesses in Nigeria and across the world.
EDITOR’S PICKS
Between July 27 and August 2, 2,892 cases of the disease were reported, with 96% concentrated in the province’s manufacturing hub of Foshan, according to an update from the provincial centre for disease control and prevention on Sunday. Chinese health officials say the outbreak has exceeded 7,000 confirmed cases since June 2025.
While the viral nature of chikungunya fever may echo the early days of COVID-19, which ravaged the world from 2020 to 2022, no severe or fatal cases of the latest outbreak have been recorded.
What is Chikungunya Fever?
Chikungunya fever is primarily transmitted through bites from Aedes mosquitoes carrying the chikungunya virus. The disease can also be transmitted from mother to baby in utero and, in rare cases, via blood transfusion or contact with infected blood. The general population is susceptible to the chikungunya virus, and infection can lead to long-term immunity.
Health experts say that the rapid spread of the epidemic in Guangdong has been initially contained, with a decline in newly reported cases, particularly in Shunde District.
Due to the global prevalence of chikungunya fever and Guangdong province’s prominent role in China’s international trade, there is a heightened risk of imported cases.
The surge in mosquito populations during typhoon season and heavy rainfall, which create ideal breeding grounds, has further complicated epidemic prevention and control.
Liu Qiyong, chief expert at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, said that favourable climatic conditions for mosquito breeding, combined with the introduction of a highly transmissible strain from the Indian Ocean, have contributed to this year’s outbreak.
How to Prevent Chikungunya Fever
Key prevention measures include eliminating areas of stagnant water and mosquito breeding sites to reduce mosquito density, along with personal use of mosquito repellents, nets, and other methods to prevent bites. Travellers to chikungunya-endemic areas are advised to take appropriate precautions.
On July 31, the National Health Commission of China and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM) jointly released the 2025 clinical guidelines for chikungunya fever management. The guidelines emphasise symptomatic and supportive care as the primary treatment approach, given the current absence of specific antiviral therapy. They explicitly advise against the misuse of antibiotics, corticosteroids, and immunoglobulin therapy.
Symptoms of Chikungunya Fever
Patients typically develop symptoms between 2 and 12 days after exposure to the virus, most commonly presenting with fever, joint pain, and a rash.
While symptoms usually resolve within a week, joint pain may persist for months. Globally, approximately one million people contract the disease each year, with a fatality rate of up to 0.1%.
Rising Cases Spark Global Concern
This is not the first time China has experienced a viral outbreak of chikungunya fever. The country first detected imported cases in 2008.
Subsequent localised outbreaks linked to imported cases occurred in 2010 and 2019, though they remained limited in scale.
Guangdong’s current rapid and widespread chikungunya transmission marks a significant shift from previous sporadic cases.
Experts attribute the ferocity of this outbreak to multiple factors, including high global transmission rates. The virus is believed to be present in 119 countries and regions, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) alert issued on July 22, warning nations to prepare for potential large-scale outbreaks.
What the Chikungunya Fever Outbreak Means for Nigeria
The viral nature of chikungunya fever and its mosquito-borne transmission pose a serious risk for countries like Nigeria, where mosquitoes breed in large numbers year-round, especially during the rainy season.
Although Nigeria has not reported a major outbreak of chikungunya in recent years, climatic conditions, poor drainage, and inadequate waste management create ideal environments for Aedes mosquitoes to thrive. High mobility between African and Asian trade hubs, including China, also raises the risk of imported cases.
Without proactive surveillance and vector control, Nigeria could face localised outbreaks, particularly in urban slums and flood-prone areas, where mosquito populations are hardest to control.
As cases rise in China, the national public health authority in Nigeria — the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) — has yet to comment on the risk of a chikungunya fever outbreak in the country.
FURTHER READING
Meanwhile, in the United States (US), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a travel advisory for those visiting areas experiencing a chikungunya outbreak.
Philip Ibitoye is a Special Correspondent with EKO HOT BLOG. Click here to find daily analysis and critical insight on trending issues in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.
Click here to watch the video of the week below:
