China comes down hard on chikungunya virus outbreak

An outbreak of the chikungunya virus in China has prompted authorities to take preventive measures from mosquito nets and clouds of disinfectant, threatening fines for people who fail to disperse standing water and even deploying drones to hunt down insect breeding grounds.

More than 7,000 cases of the disease have been reported as of Wednesday, focused largely on the manufacturing hub of Foshan near Hong Kong, which has reported only one case.

Numbers of new cases appear to be dropping slowly, according to authorities.

Chikungunya is spread by mosquitoes and causes fever and joint pain, similar to dengue fever. The young, older people, and those with pre-existing medical conditions are most at risk.

Chinese state television has shown workers spraying clouds of disinfectant around city streets, residential areas, construction sites, and other areas where people may come into contact with virus-bearing mosquitos that are born in standing water.

Workers sprayed some places before entering office buildings, a throwback to China’s controversial hardline tactics used to battle the COVID-19 virus.

People who do not empty bottles, flower pots, or other outdoor receptacles can be subject to fines of up to 10,000 yuan (€1,208) and have their electricity cut off.

The United States has issued a travel advisory telling citizens not to visit China's Guangdong province, the location of Dongguan and several other business hubs, along with countries such as Bolivia and island nations in the Indian Ocean.

Brazil is among the other countries hit hard by the virus. Cases have also been reported this year in France and Italy.

The virus is generally common in tropical areas but came on unusually strong this year. Heavy rains and high temperatures have worsened the crisis in China. 

China has become adept at coercive measures that many nations consider over-the-top since the deadly 2003 SARS outbreak.

This time, patients are being forced to stay in hospital in Foshan for a minimum of one week and authorities briefly enforced a two-week home quarantine, which was dropped since the disease cannot be transmitted between people.

Reports also have emerged of attempts to stop the virus spread with fish that eat mosquito larvae and even larger mosquitos to eat the insects carrying the virus.

Meetings have been held and protocols adopted at the national level in a sign of China's determination to eliminate the outbreak and avoid public and international criticism.