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What is the chikungunya virus, how are countries such as China battling it?

What is the chikungunya virus, how are countries such as China battling it?

United States health officials are urging travellers to remain vigilant as a mosquito-borne virus continues to circulate across parts of Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Indian Ocean. Since the beginning of 2025, there have been approximately 240,000 chikungunya virus infections and 90 deaths in 16 countries, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). In China, an outbreak has infected roughly 7,000 people since late June, with most cases concentrated in the city of Foshan, in Guangdong province, just north of Hong Kong. This marks the country’s largest chikungunya outbreak since the virus was first identified there in 2008. Here is what we know about the disease and how it is spreading. What is the chikungunya virus? Chikungunya is a viral disease that is spread through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. These mosquitoes also carry and spread dengue, yellow fever and the Zika virus. The name, chikungunya, derives from a word in the Kimakonde language, spoken in Tanzania and Mozambique, meaning “to become contorted”. In most cases, patients will feel better within a week. In many cases, however, the joint pain can last for months or even years. There is no cure for the chikungunya virus, but deaths are rare. If an infected mosquito bites a healthy human, it injects the virus into the bloodstream. People most at risk of serious illness from chikungunya include newborns, older adults and those with existing health problems such as heart disease or diabetes. Advertisement There is no cure for the chikungunya virus, but the death rate is low, except in high-risk populations. If an infected mosquito bites a healthy human, it injects the virus into the bloodstream. If a non-infected mosquito bites a person who is already infected, it sucks the virus from that person’s blood and becomes a carrier capable of transmitting the virus to others through bites. How bad is the current spread of the virus? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the current surge in cases began in early 2025, with major outbreaks in Indian Ocean Islands, including La Reunion, Mayotte and Mauritius. In La Reunion, more than 47,500 cases of chikungunya and 12 associated deaths were reported up to May 2025, with sustained high transmission across the island, according to the WHO. The ECDC also reports that as of July 18, there were more than 54,000 cases reported from La Reunion. This is now the most serious chikungunya outbreak in La Reunion since the 2005–2006 epidemic, which saw an estimated 244,000 to more than 300,000 cases, and prompted large-scale public health efforts to control mosquito breeding and limit transmission. The virus has also spread to other countries, including Madagascar, Somalia and Kenya, and has shown signs of epidemic-level transmission in parts of Southeast Asia, as well as India, where financial capital Mumbai has seen a surge in cases since July. The WHO has also raised concerns about the rising number of imported chikungunya cases in Europe. Since May 1, about 800 imported cases have been reported in mainland France. According to the ECDC, the Americas as a region have reported the highest number of chikungunya cases globally. As of mid-July 2025, the countries with the most cases in the region include Brazil (185,553), Bolivia (4,721), Argentina (2,836) and Peru (55). In China, infections have been reported in at least 12 cities across southern Guangdong province, in addition to Foshan. Chinese authorities said that an “imported case triggered local transmission” in July, but did not specify where the infection originated. According to experts, rising global temperatures have led to warmer and wetter weather, allowing mosquitoes to thrive. Separately, on Saturday, Hong Kong confirmed its first case of chikungunya: a 12-year-old boy who developed a fever, rash and joint pain since July 31, after visiting Foshan. This was the territory’s first case of the virus in six years. How are China and other countries fighting the spread? According to a Bloomberg news report, China has promised to take swift and decisive action to contain the spread of the chikungunya virus. Advertisement Drones are being used to find places where mosquitoes are breeding. At the same time, scientists are releasing large “elephant mosquitoes” – about 2cm (0.8 inches) long – whose larvae eat the smaller mosquitoes that spread the virus. Health experts hope these mosquito helpers will play an important role in stopping the outbreak. According to a report by the BBC, residents of affected areas in China have been ordered to eliminate standing water in and around their homes – including in flowerpots, coffee machines and empty bottles. Noncompliance may result in fines of up to 10,000 yuan (approximately $1,400), and in more serious cases, people could face criminal charges for “obstructing the prevention of infectious diseases”. Citing local sources, The New York Times said that in some instances, infected residents in Foshan are being moved to “quarantine wards”, where they are kept behind mosquito nets and screens. Some patients also say they were given no choice but to seek treatment at their own expense. In other places, such as La Reunion and Mayotte, authorities have also launched enhanced surveillance, mosquito control initiatives and targeted vaccination efforts. The Basque Country in Spain activated preventive protocols after a case was detected in Hendaye, just across the border in France. The protocols include increased surveillance in border towns and encouraging people to make reports through apps such as Mosquito Alert. How can chikungunya be prevented and treated? Health authorities advise protecting oneself against mosquito bites as the most effective strategy against the spread of chikungunya. This may involve wearing long sleeves and trousers, applying mosquito repellents, removing bodies of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, and staying in closed, air-conditioned spaces indoors or behind mosquito netting when outdoors. While there are no specific medicines to treat the virus, rest, fluids and pain relievers may help alleviate symptoms, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, some pain relievers may be

Trump to host Armenia, Azerbaijan leaders for peace talks: Report

Trump to host Armenia, Azerbaijan leaders for peace talks: Report

Armenia and Azerbaijan’s leaders met in the UAE last month, but no breakthrough in their decades-long conflict was reached. United States President Donald Trump will host the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan for peace talks at the White House, a US official said. The official told the Reuters news agency on Tuesday that there is a possibility a framework for a peace agreement could be announced at Friday’s meeting in Washington, DC. The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, for peace talks last month, but no breakthrough in the decades-old conflict was announced. [Al Jazeera] The two South Caucasus countries have been in conflict with each other since the late 1980s, when Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan with support from Armenia. The region, which was claimed by both Azerbaijan and Armenia after the fall of the Russian Empire in 1917, had a mostly ethnic Armenian population at the time. Azerbaijan recaptured Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, prompting almost all of the territory’s 100,000 Armenians to flee to Armenia. Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of “erasing all traces” of the presence of ethnic Armenians in the contested territory, in a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The case stems from the 2020 war over Nagorno-Karabakh, which left more than 6,600 people dead, one of three full-scale wars that the two countries have fought over the region. The United Nations’s top court has ordered Azerbaijan to allow ethnic Armenians who fled Nagorno-Karabakh to return. Azerbaijan says it is committed to ensuring all residents’ safety and security, regardless of national or ethnic origin, and that it has not forced ethnic Armenians, who are mostly Christian, to leave the Karabakh region. Advertisement Azerbaijan, whose inhabitants are mostly Muslim, links its historical identity to the territory, too, and has accused the Armenians of driving out Azeris who lived near the region in the 1990s. The meeting in Abu Dhabi last month between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev came after the two countries finalised a draft peace deal in March. The two leaders “agreed to continue bilateral negotiations and confidence-building measures between the two countries”, but no more concrete steps were outlined in the final statement from the talks. Ceasefire violations along the heavily militarised 1,000km (620-mile) shared Armenia-Azerbaijan border surged soon after the draft deal was announced in March, but later diminished. Adblock test (Why?)

TribCast: How long can Texas Democrats hold out?

TribCast: How long can Texas Democrats hold out?

In this week’s episode, Matthew and Eleanor speak with state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, about her and her colleagues’ decision to flee the state, the potential financial and criminal penalties and her opposition to the state’s proposed new congressional map.