US health officials have raised a travel alert for China’s Guangdong province after a surge in cases of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne illness known to cause prolonged joint pain.According to the New York Post, the center for disease control and prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 2 travel warning, advising visitors to “practice enhanced precautions” when visiting the region. Foshan city has been identified as the epicentre of the outbreak, prompting containment steps that some compare to early COVID-era measures.Thousands of people in China have been infected, the report said. Chikungunya is spread through the bites of infected Aedes mosquitoes in warm, humid climates, but not through person-to-person contact. While rarely fatal, the illness can cause intense joint pain lasting weeks, months or even years.The CDC has urged travellers to protect themselves by using EPA-registered insect repellents, wearing long-sleeved clothing, avoiding mosquito breeding sites, and staying in screened or air-conditioned accommodations. Two vaccines against chikungunya have recently been approved for use in the United States, but pregnant women – particularly those nearing delivery – are advised to reconsider travel as the virus can, in rare cases, be transmitted during childbirth.Globally, an estimated 35 million people contract chikungunya each year, though annual deaths are relatively low at around 3,700. In the US, 46 travel-related cases have been reported so far in 2025, compared with nearly 200 in 2024. No locally transmitted cases have been recorded in the country since 2019, according to the CDC.Older adults, newborns, and people with chronic health conditions remain at greater risk of severe or long-term complications from the illness, the agency added.
