chikungunya fever

The number of new locally transmitted cases of Chikungunya fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease, has declined in south China's Guangdong Province over the past week, though risks remain, local disease control authorities said on Sunday.

A total of 2,892 local infections were reported from July 27 to Aug. 2, with no severe or fatal cases recorded, while the majority of cases were found in the city of Foshan, it revealed.

"The recent surge has been initially contained, with a downward trend in newly reported cases across the province," said Kang Min, director of the infectious disease control institute at the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Kang, notably, warned that Guangdong faces continued pressure from imported cases due to high global transmission levels, while seasonal typhoons and rainfall are also contributing to heightened mosquito activity.

Chikungunya fever is an acute infectious disease caused by the Chikungunya virus -- featuring clinical symptoms including fever, rashes and joint pains. The virus is transmitted to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes.

China on Tuesday held a national conference on the prevention and treatment of Chikungunya fever, calling for decisive measures to fight against it.

The meeting stressed that strengthened efforts should be made to assess epidemic risks, resolutely safeguard people's health, and ensure overall economic and social stability, according to a statement released on the website of the National Health Commission.