US issues travel warning as China takes 'COVID measures' after reporting 7,000 cases of Chikungunya virus

The US has issued a travel alert to citizens planning to vacation in China after the country reported 7,000 cases of the Chikungunya virus.

Within the Guangdong region, at least 12 cities have reported infection cases, with Foshan being one of the worst. Outside of Guangdong, one case has been reported in Hong Kong after a 12-year-old boy fell ill after a trip to Foshan.

China also revealed that it had documented around 3,000 cases in just one week, prompting severe governmental action to tackle the spread in the area.

Some of these measures include patients staying in hospitals until they test negative, using mosquito nets for protection, removing stagnant water from homes, and releasing 'elephant mosquitoes' and fish to eat bugs infected with the virus (via the BBC).

And now, the US has advised that anyone travelling to China needs to do so with caution.

What is the Chikungunya virus?

The Chikungunya virus was reported in 3,000 people in one week (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

The Chikungunya virus is a disease transmitted via infected mosquito bites, such as those from the Aedes mosquito.

Previous outbreaks of the virus have been noted to have occurred in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and islands across the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

First identified in Tanzania in 1952, the BBC says that it has been reported in more than 110 countries so far.

What are the symptoms of the Chikungunya virus?

It has been noted that symptoms include fever and joint pain. Meanwhile, other symptoms can include 'headache, muscle pain, joint swelling and rash'.

In the most severe cases, constant joint pain can last for years after contracting the disease. However, most people will recover within 7 to 10 days.

Chikungunya virus isn't contagious and cases are rarely fatal, but it can be dangerous to contract for vulnerable people, children and pregnant women.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) explains that newborn babies and adults over the age of 65 are the most at-risk group, as well as those with health conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease.

How is the Chikungunya virus spread?

As stated previously, the virus is only spread through infected bites, meaning that it is not transmissible through human contact.

Mosquitoes that carry the virus can bite multiple people, spreading the disease easily as they fly from person to person.

What is the US's travel warning?

Aedes mosquitos are known carriers (Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The rise in cases of the disease has led to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issuing a Level 2 travel precaution, warning travellers to ‘practice enhanced precautions’.

There are similar Level 2 precautions in countries such as Bolivia, the Guangdong province in China, as well as Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Réunion, Somalia and Sri Lanka.

However, there is a warning for ‘elevated risk' of exposure to the virus to those visiting Brazil, Colombia, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand.

Although the virus hasn't been reported locally in the US since 2019, there were ‘199 travel-associated reports in the US in 2024 and 46 this year', the CDC reports.

They further warn that those who travel to affected regions should use insect repellent, wear long-sleeved shirts and pants and remain in areas fitted with air conditioning or that have screens on the windows and doors so that mosquitoes do not come in.

Other precautions include being vaccinated with the two approved chikungunya vaccines in the US.

But if you're pregnant and close to your due date, it is noted that mothers can pass the virus to their babies before or during delivery, which puts the baby at risk of 'severe illness, including poor long-term outcomes’.

What have experts said about it?

China has implemented COVID-19-like measures (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

In an interview with South Morning China Post, Yuen Kwok-yung, chair of infectious diseases at the University of Hong Kong's Department of Microbiology, said that he thinks the outbreak should be taken seriously.

“Any outbreak could be major because we have no immunity, so we should not take it lightly,” he said. “Normally, you might only experience a fever, rash and swollen joints.

"Most people will be fine, but you must not forget that if you have a chronic illness, it can be very serious to those who are very old or very young."

Meanwhile, WHO's Rojas Alvarez said in July that while the Chikungunya virus 'isn't widely known', it has been detected and transmitted in 119 countries globally, putting 5.6 billion people at risk'.

Referencing the Chikungunya virus outbreak that occurred across the Indian Ocean between 2004 and 2005, she continued (via Science Alert): "Today, WHO is seeing the same pattern emerge: since the beginning of 2025, Réunion, Mayotte, and Mauritius have all reported major chikungunya outbreaks. One-third of the population of Réunion is estimated to have been infected already."

"Because these patterns of transmission were seen in the outbreak from 2004 onwards, WHO is calling for urgent action to prevent history from repeating itself." Alvarez added.