Dengue fever epidemic quietly spreads in Guangdong province. Official reports indicate that there have been 1,770 new cases of dengue fever in the past week. Doctors in Guangzhou have told reporters that the dengue fever epidemic has resulted in fatalities.
According to the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention website on October 10th, during the 40th week of this year (September 30th to October 6th), there were 1,770 new reported cases of dengue fever in Guangdong. Foshan reported the highest number of cases.
Of these cases, there were 1,764 local cases, with 617 in Foshan, 251 in Guangzhou, 112 in Shenzhen, 98 in Jiangmen, 89 in Zhongshan, 77 in Qingyuan, 76 in Dongguan, 70 in Zhanjiang, 62 in Zhaoqing, 56 in Shaoguan, 39 each in Zhuhai and Maoming, 34 in Yunfu, 31 in Meizhou, 30 in Huizhou, 18 in Jieyang, 17 in Chaozhou, 15 each in Yangjiang and Shantou, and 10 in Shanwei.
There were also 6 imported cases, with 3 in Shenzhen and 1 each in Guangzhou, Zhongshan, and Maoming.
On October 9th, Guangdong CDC stated that during the second half of September, the province monitored 26 high-density Aedes mosquito surveillance sites in towns and districts, with Guangzhou having the most sites at 10, followed by Zhuhai and Shantou with 4 each.
On October 8th, the “Guangzhou CDC i-Health” WeChat public account released information on dengue fever epidemic monitoring in Guangzhou.
The report showed that from September 30th to October 6th, the city reported 252 new cases of dengue fever.
Of these cases, there were 230 local cases, with 55 in Baiyun District, 38 in Panyu District, 28 in Haizhu District, 27 in Liwan District, 23 in Tianhe District, 20 in Huadu District, 17 in Yuexiu District, and 7 in Conghua District, with 5 each in Zengcheng District, Nansha District, and Huangpu District.
There were also 22 imported cases, with 10 in Haizhu District, 4 each in Yuexiu District and Zengcheng District, 2 in Huadu District, and 1 each in Panyu District and Huangpu District.
Guangzhou private clinic doctor Wang Jian (pseudonym) recently told reporters that dengue fever epidemic is prevalent in the southern region of China, where there are many southern mosquitoes that transmit the virus through bites, and the key to control is mosquito eradication. The dengue virus is infectious.
He mentioned that in a place with a population of millions, hundreds of people could get infected with dengue fever, leading to fatalities, causing some fear among the population.
Wang Jian revealed that he recently met with personnel from the Fanghua City epidemic prevention station in Guangdong, who informed him of the severity of the dengue fever epidemic this time.
However, Wang Jian emphasized that the dengue fever epidemic should not be compared to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A resident of Zhongshan City in Guangdong, Mr. Qi, recently told reporters that he lives on the ground floor where mosquitoes are abundant, especially at night. He uses mosquito repellent, keeps doors and windows closed to prevent mosquito bites.
On October 9th, Qiu Haiyang, who introduced himself as a “renowned traditional Chinese medicine physician, inheritor of Chinese medicine culture,” mentioned that dengue fever contagious virus has been circulating in the Meizhou region of Guangdong and its surroundings. He pointed out that during the National Day holiday, some Meizhou residents returned while others visited Meizhou. He urged everyone to pay attention to the dengue fever epidemic.
What impact does the dengue fever virus have on people’s health? Qiu Haiyang explained that its clinical features include sudden fever, muscle pain all over the body, including bones and joints, which are typical symptoms.
He added, “People also experience extreme fatigue, feeling very sleepy. There may be swollen lymph nodes, decreased white blood cells, and other symptoms. Severe cases can lead to death.”
As we enter the autumn and winter seasons, with the need to prevent more infectious diseases, Qiu Haiyang stressed the importance of maintaining distance between individuals and practicing personal hygiene to prevent the spread of the virus. He highlighted that individuals with gland infections are more susceptible to infection. Therefore, it is crucial to implement effective epidemic prevention and hygiene measures.
Dr. Hu Yang, director of the Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Department at Tongji University Affiliated Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital and associate professor at Tongji University, stated that dengue fever is an acute infectious disease caused by the dengue virus, transmitted to humans through mosquito bites. Symptoms of dengue fever usually appear within 4 to 7 days after infection.
Dr. Hu Yang outlined several symptoms of dengue fever: high fever persisting for more than three days, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees; pain, including headaches, eye pain (especially behind the eyes or around the eye sockets); rashes such as red spots, vesicles, blisters, or bruises; muscle and joint pain affecting the back, limbs, and joints; and bleeding, with some patients experiencing nosebleeds, bleeding gums, subcutaneous bleeding, among others.