At least 10 confirmedcases and 91 suspect cases of the mosquito-borne Chikungunya Virus have been identified in Xincun community of Dongguan, a city in China’s southern province Guangdong and may be the country’s first ever locally-acquiredcases. In China, Chikungunya is transmitted via two mosquito species – the Aedes albopictus and the Aedes aegypti. While most of the patients have recovered and no severe cases or deaths were reported, the risk of transmission remains highsince a mosquito can acquire the virus from an oftentimes asymptomatic individual and go on to infect another person. This is particularly worrisome among individuals with underlying conditions such as diabetes or heart disease, as a relatively innocuous Chikungunya infection can lead to the onset of more severe illnesses.
