Global pandemic looms, and Guangdong's defenses are under urgent pressure.
On July 27, 2025, the Guangdong Provincial Disease Control Bureau reported that there were 2,940 new locally transmitted cases of chikungunya fever in the past week. Foshan City has had more than 3,000 confirmed cases in total, with Shunde District being the hardest hit area. This pandemic is driven by a surging global transmission chain. Dr. Diana Rojas Alvarez, head of vector-borne viruses at the World Health Organization, pointed out that the virus is spreading from Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean, where 54,410 cases were confirmed in 2025 with 28 deaths, to Asia. The virus has already led to local transmission in 119 countries and regions worldwide, putting about 5.5 million people at risk of infection. Meanwhile, Beijing's Center for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a concurrent warning: increased international travel heightens the risk of importation.
The fatal attack of the 'Bend-over Virus': high fever, severe pain, and medication contraindications.
Patients face triple torment: sudden high fever of over 39℃ lasting for several days, severe symmetrical joint pain (viral attack on synovial cells causing knees and elbows to feel broken, the disease named 'Chikungunya' means 'bent body' in African Makonde language), and skin rash on palms and soles appearing in 50% of patients.
Experts from the Department of Infectious Diseases at Zhongshan University's Third Affiliated Hospital, Lin Bingliang and Zhang Xiaohong, have issued an urgent reminder: Aspirin should be strictly avoided during fever reduction as it may induce dengue hemorrhage or exacerbate joint damage. They recommend prioritizing acetaminophen.
Dual-track approach: From mosquito eradication on the streets to the human microbiome
Face to the epidemic, Guangdong Province has initiated rapid responses: Foshan City has organized comprehensive cleaning of water containers and conducted door-to-door mosquito extermination, while Guangzhou City has simultaneously launched a city-wide mosquito eradication campaign. Dr. Zhang Wenhong, director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases Medicine, emphasized: 'Relying on the mature dengue fever prevention and control system, the south is still within the effective control window period.'
The scientific research from the University of Washington School of Medicine has opened up a second front in prevention and control. A paper published in the journal 'Cell' reveals that when the gut microbiota of mice is disrupted by antibiotics, viral load in the blood increases sharply, and the infection rate from mosquito bites exceeds 50% (only 30% in the normal group). After supplementing with Clostridium scindens, a bacterium unique to the human gut, its metabolized bile acids activate natural killer cells (NK cells), causing a significant reduction in viral load. This means that healthy microbiota can not only protect individuals but also potentially interrupt community transmission chains by reducing viremia. Additionally, concurrent verification has confirmed a groundbreaking Japanese discovery: inactivated Lactococcus lactis can activate human monocytes to release large amounts of interferon-alpha, which subsequently stimulates liver cells to express antiviral genes such as ISG15 and ISG20, significantly enhancing inhibition rates against Chikungunya virus, dengue virus, and Zika virus. Maintaining gut microbiota balance may become a new strategy for prevention and control.
The authoritative reassurance: The scientific defense line has been established.
In response to rumors circulating online about 'Chikungunya fever spreading from person to person,' experts from the National Disease Control Center have jointly debunked these claims, emphasizing that the virus is only transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes (requiring an 8-10 day extrinsic incubation period) and there is no evidence of direct human-to-human transmission-family cluster cases are actually due to shared mosquito exposure, fundamentally different from respiratory diseases such as COVID-19. The Guangdong Provincial Disease Control Bureau reiterates that the current epidemic is preventable, controllable, and treatable. The public needs to strictly implement mosquito prevention measures (removing standing water, using insect repellents), and patients should follow medical advice to use acetaminophen, while also paying attention to gut health management. According to data from the World Health Organization, although global risks are increasing, rapid mosquito control responses and emerging microbiome protection strategies are helping humanity regain the upper hand in the fight against the epidemic. From the crisis under the wings of mosquitoes to the microscopic battlefield within the intestines, we have never stopped fighting.