China's War On Mosquitoes To Eradicate Chikungunya Revives Covid Lockdown Memories: Report

Last Updated:August 10, 2025, 17:20 IST

Chinese authorities have mobilised their entire health apparatus in a "war on mosquitoes" to eradicate a Chikungunya outbreak in Guangdong province.

China is battling a Chikungunya outbreak in Guangdong province. (Reuters/File)

Authorities in China have launched what is believed to be a “war on mosquitoes" to eradicate a growing outbreak of the Chikungunya virus in Guangdong province. The country’s health apparatus has mobilised in a way not seen since the mass lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The campaign involves drones and even other predatory creatures to eliminate mosquitoes and fumigators are searching every village, reflecting the seriousness of the Chinese government in this endeavour.

Officials in Guangdong have reported more than 7,000 cases of the virus since last month, according to the Financial Times. The outbreak is primarily concentrated in Foshan, a major manufacturing city home to approximately 9 million people, but officials have located cases in Hong Kong, Macau and the neighbouring Hunan province.

What Are Chinese Officials Doing?

While Chikungunya is rarely fatal and authorities have not reported any deaths from the ongoing outbreak, the Chinese government has sprung into action to contain the disease by conducting regular fumigation and entering homes to check for stagnant water in which mosquitoes can breed.

Officials in the Guangdong province are even breeding sites with drones and are introducing carp species and the larvae of giant mosquitoes, which eat mosquitoes that carry the chikungunya virus.

As part of public awareness measues, red-and-yellow banners can be seen in Tengchong, bearing rhyming slogans that remind residents of the dangers of stagnant water and mosquitoes. Last week, provincial governor Wang Weizhong reportedly called on officials to encourage residents to light mosquito coils, install gauze netting and apply bug spray as part of a “patriotic health campaign" to prevent the spread of the virus.

Why Is It Being Compared To Covid-19?

However, China’s relentless campaign against mosquitoes has been compared to its extreme efforts to control the Covid-19 pandemic, notably by officials in Foshan instructing pharmacies to record the names of customers buying medicines for Chikungunya symptoms like rashes, joint pain and fevers.

Two cities in the neighbouring Fujian province have issued reminders to visitors from Foshan to undergo 14 days of self-monitoring, FT reported citing state media. Medics in at least one affected area are registering the details of infected individuals with the local Communist party committee, which sends them to a special “quarantine" hospital wards in which patients are separated by gauze netting, according to a health worker.

Residents are tested via nucleic acid testing, sometimes conducted by health workers under temporary outdoor shelters that evoke memories of Covid-19 mass swabbing sites. A patient’s stay in the quarantine hospital is dependent on these tests.

However, some citizens have welcomed these steps. “I hope the government can continue to implement all of these measures and keep exterminating mosquitoes frequently, so that we don’t have to deal with the trouble that they bring," said Liu, a Tengchong resident who made a full recovery after contracting Chikungunya.

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...

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Location :

Beijing, China

First Published:

August 10, 2025, 17:20 IST

News world China's War On Mosquitoes To Eradicate Chikungunya Revives Covid Lockdown Memories: Report

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