Beijing News: CDC Chikungunya Advisory, Scams & Helmet Safety
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Beijing CDC Issues Advisory on Chikungunya
On Tue, Jul 22, the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) issued an advisory related to the recent outbreak of cases of chikungunya in Foshan and the appearance of a few imported cases now in Beijing. Chikungunya, also known as chikungunya fever, is an acute mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by the chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and encountered mainly in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Africa. The WHO website says, “The name chikungunya derives from a word in the Kimakonde language of southern Tanzania, meaning ‘that which bends up’ and describes the contorted posture of infected people with severe joint pain.”
The chikungunya virus is transmitted mostly through the bites of infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, although the Beijing CDC says that in Beijing, only Aedes albopictus has been found as a vector. Sources of infection include infected symptomatic and asymptomatic humans as well as infected non-human primates. The CDC says that there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission. The Aedes albopictus mosquito, also called the Asian tiger mosquito because of its striking black and white striped coloring, bites during the day, being most active during the time periods of 6am-8am and 5pm-7pm. It is mainly found around various small and clean bodies of water, such as outdoor piles of discarded pots, buckets, bowls or indoor vases, water tanks, and flowerpot trays.
Symptoms of chikungunya include high fever, joint pain and a rash. Symptoms are generally mild, however cases may be more severe in high-risk groups such as children, people over 65 years of age or individuals with conditions such as hypertension, diabetes or heart disease. The US CDC says that around 15 to 35 percent of chikungunya cases are asymptomatic. For symptomatic cases, the incubation period is usually 3-7 days, with a range of 1-12 days. While most symptomatic cases resolve within around a week, in some cases, joint pain can persist for weeks, months or years. Infection can lead to long-lasting immunity.
The best way to prevent chikungunya is to avoid mosquito bites. Focus should be on the removal of breeding sites for mosquito larvae and the use of biological, physical and chemical methods to eliminate mosquitoes. It is recommended that people wear long clothes when going out, stay away from places where mosquitoes are likely to breed, and use mosquito repellents to prevent mosquito bites.
Additionally, travelers should be aware when traveling to locations with chikungunya outbreaks or infection risk and take appropriate precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Upon returning from a trip, travelers should continue their mosquito precautions for a further two weeks to ensure pathogens such as chikungunya, dengue fever and Zika are not brought into the country.
Anyone who experiences symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, or rash should seek immediate medical attention. Details of any recent travel or other information related to recent activities or mosquito bites should also be provided in order to assist with diagnosis and treatment.
The following are some of the “Key Facts” about Chikungunya listed on the WHO website:
- Chikungunya is a disease caused by the chikungunya virus, which is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes, with large outbreaks and sporadic cases reported mostly in the Americas, Asia and Africa, and occasional smaller outbreaks in Europe.
- The symptoms of chikungunya are similar to those of dengue and Zika, making chikungunya easy to misdiagnose and making it more difficult for countries to accurately determine the number of people infected.
- Chikungunya causes fever and severe joint pain, which is often debilitating and may be prolonged; other symptoms include joint swelling, muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash.
- There is no specific antiviral treatment for chikungunya virus infections but antipyretic and analgesic medications (such as paracetamol) for fever and pain can be used to alleviate these symptoms.
- Severe symptoms and deaths from chikungunya are rare and usually occur in young babies or elderly people with other coexisting health problems.
You can find more information about chikungunya on the WHO and US CDC websites. To stay up-to-date on the situation in Beijing, follow the Beijing CDC's official WeChat account “北京市疾病预防控制中心” (ID: bjcdcblog).
Scams Target the Elderly
Recent reports indicate a rise in scams targeting elderly people. Notable examples include a bank card scam and various impersonation scams.
In Daxing District, a 70-year-old man walked into a bank attempting to check the balance on a “poverty alleviation” bank card supposedly with funds of almost RMB 5,000,000. Upon inspecting the card, bank employees realized that it was a fake.
The man had been scammed by an unknown company into paying more than RMB 1,000 in a number of “processing” and “activation” fees, convinced of the scam’s legitimacy with false balance information, a fake app, and promises of gifts. The man was also tricked into giving the scammers personal information about himself and family members, which could be used by scammers in future plots.
Elsewhere in Beijing, a grandmother received a frantic call from someone purporting to be her grandson, saying that he had been in a horrible car accident while playing with a friend and was at that moment in the hospital with no money for treatment. The impersonator told the elderly victim to prepare tens of thousands of RMB in cash and give it to his “friend,” who would come to the grandmother’s residence to collect it.
Desperate to help her grandson, the woman complied. However, when she later checked with her family, she was told that her grandson was fine and had not been in an accident.
According to the Beijing Anti-Fraud Center, 19 similar cases of impersonation fraud were recently reported in the span of two weeks. The scams target mostly older women in their 60s or 70s and exploit the emotional bonds they have with their families and the shock and distress of accident scenarios or other difficulties.
Although prevalent several years ago, in recent years, this type of impersonation fraud had seemingly become rare. However, the recent uptick in reported cases signals an apparent resurgence in the scam.
Helmet Requirement for Scooters, Electric Bikes Being Considered
Authorities are considering an amendment to the “Beijing Non-Motorized Vehicle Management Regulations” that, if passed, would make it mandatory to wear helmets during the operation of scooters and electric bikes. Currently, it is strongly recommended that riders wear a helmet while operating these types of vehicles.
If the measure is adopted, Beijing residents can expect to see stepped-up advocacy and educational campaigns around proper helmet-wearing, the qualities of good helmets and other important helmet-related information.
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Images: Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing Fabu, Unsplash
