The number of people infected with the Chikungunya virus in China has surpassed 7,000. Since last July, more than 7,000 people in Guangdong Province have been infected with the mosquito-borne virus.

According to the BBC, as the number of Chikungunya infections has begun to rise, local authorities have adopted measures similar to those implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the worst-hit city of Foshan, hospitals have been using mosquito nets to protect Chikungunya patients from mosquito bites. Hospitalized patients are discharged only after testing negative or after a week-long stay.

The virus, transmitted through bites from infected mosquitoes, causes fever and severe joint pain, and in some cases, the symptoms can persist for years.

While rare in China, outbreaks of Chikungunya are common in parts of South and Southeast Asia as well as Africa.

In addition to Foshan, infections have been reported in at least 12 other cities in southern Guangdong Province.

Meanwhile, authorities in Hong Kong reported a case of Chikungunya infection yesterday. The patient, a child, had visited Foshan last July.