China Outbreak 2025: Chikungunya Virus Raises Global Health Concerns

Summer 2025 has brought a familiar sensation to those living in and visiting China, where a mosquito-borne virus caused thousands of illnesses.

Many people are claiming that the chikungunya virus has caused the government of China's Guangdong province to institute some of the same precautions that the country took during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting concern and criticism from those caught up in sprawling regulations.

However, officials seem to think these measures are necessary to stop China's 2025 outbreak, and they are working hard to help stop the spread of the unpleasant illness.

Here's everything we know about the chikungunya virus and China's response.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the chikungunya virus infects humans through the bite of a mosquito carrying the illness. These types of outbreaks have occurred in the islands along the Pacific and Indian Oceans, as well as in parts of Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

In 2025, an outbreak of the virus hit China hard, with 7,000 cases reported in the Guangdong province as of July, according to the BBC.

The city of Foshan experienced an especially high spike in cases, and patients were quarantined in hospital rooms covered with mosquito nets, and authorities imposed strict restrictions on residents to try and get the infection under control.

The CDC says that most people who get infected by the virus will experience some sort of symptoms within three to seven days of exposure. The most common of those symptoms includes joint pain and fever, while others could experience rash, muscle pain, headache, or joint swelling.

Certain populations are more at risk of developing severe symptoms, including those over the age of 65 and newborns who come into contact with infected mosquitoes shortly after birth.

Additionally, those who have preexisting conditions like heart disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure are also at a higher risk of complications.

While the virus is very rarely fatal and most people feel better in about a week's time, some people can experience ongoing joint pain for months, which can be "severe and disabling," according to the CDC.

Fortunately, the chikungunya virus cannot spread from human to human, so it's not considered contagious in that way. However, there is no known treatment or vaccine against the virus, so prevention is key when it comes to avoiding the long-lasting complications that are common with infection.

That means staying away from areas where infected mosquitoes frequent, avoiding outdoor activities during prime mosquito hours (dusk and dawn), and destroying any potential breeding grounds for the bugs.

The BBC reports that China has focused on that last part during the 2025 outbreak, and they instructed residents to dump any stagnant water that may have accumulated in or around their homes, or else they will face massive fines that equal up to $1,400 U.S. dollars.

Additionally, according to the publication, China plans to release "elephant mosquitoes," which officials hope will feed on the smaller insects spreading the virus, eliminating some of the danger.