Guangdong Province is currently experiencing a continuous spread of Dengue fever, with Jiangmen being the hardest-hit area. As the sensitive political date of the Chinese Communist Party’s “National Day” approaches, officials in Jiangmen have declared that eradicating mosquitoes is the most crucial political task at hand, rallying the slogan of “eradicating mosquitoes at all costs.” Following the aftermath of Typhoon “Huajasha,” the Chinese authorities have escalated mosquito control efforts, sparking ridicule and complaints from the public.
According to the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, from 0:00 on September 21 to 24:00 on September 27, there were 3153 new locally-acquired cases of Dengue fever reported in the province, with Jiangmen reporting 2927 cases, Foshan 78, Guangzhou 68, Shenzhen 22, and Zhuhai 13. The region has since activated a Level III emergency response for public health incidents.
Earlier, from September 14 to 20, Jiangmen officially reported 2238 cases of Dengue fever. The Jiangmen Municipal Party Committee of the Chinese Communist Party declared during a meeting on the 26th that eradicating mosquitoes is the current most important political task, emphasizing the need for urgent action, comprehensive mobilization, and full societal participation to eradicate mosquitoes at all costs, ensuring effective control of the epidemic before the “National Day.” They stated that they would not hesitate to eradicate mosquitoes in 3 to 4 days with any means necessary.
In response, netizens mocked the situation, drawing parallels to the past campaigns like the “Four Pests Campaign” during the Great Leap Forward era. They sarcastically suggested implementing a no-fly zone or sealing road drainage outlets with mosquito nets, making humorous comparisons to battling the forces of nature.
On September 21, Jiangmen authorities announced that all Dengue fever patients in the area, including those with mild or asymptomatic infections, must comply with hospitalization and mosquito isolation measures until officially discharged. Any entity or individual must not refuse or delay hospital treatment for any reason. Suspected cases are required to cooperate with medical institutions for routine screenings.
According to “Upstream News,” on the 23rd, due to the impact of Super Typhoon “Huajasha,” Jiangmen progressively implemented measures including suspending classes, work, production, transportation, and business activities citywide. On that day, many residents received text messages from the Jiangmen Mosquito-Borne Disease Control Office reminding them to take advantage of the favorable conditions during the storm to eliminate mosquitoes effectively over three consecutive days starting from the night of September 23.
Some netizens cynically questioned the effectiveness of these measures, expressing concerns about the presence of mosquitoes indoors during stormy weather and the practicalities of evacuating homes while using smoke tablets or mosquito coils. They also criticized the idea of “liking” such initiatives and questioned the rationale behind these eradication efforts.
Experts cited by Chinese media highlighted that mosquitoes in Guangdong have developed resistance to pyrethroids, a commonly used insecticide, emphasizing that the current year’s approach to pest control will set the stage for next year.
On September 28, local residents in Jiangmen shared multiple videos of mosquito eradication efforts, with one netizen lamenting, “Just as we chased away the typhoon, now we have to deal with mosquitoes every day. The mosquitoes might not be deadly, but they sure are unbearable. Jiangmen is facing tough times!”
The COVID-19 pandemic, which originated in Wuhan at the end of 2019, due to the Chinese Communist Party’s suppression worsened nationwide and spread globally. The CCP’s extreme epidemic control policies, such as locking down cities, villages, and neighborhoods in the name of dynamic epidemic containment, have caused humanitarian disasters. The current mosquito eradication efforts by the CCP have evoked memories of the COVID-19 period in people’s minds.
Under the account name “Overseas Disclosures,” it was stated, “Guangdong Jiangmen is experiencing a biochemical crisis again, the dynamics of clearing or not are unclear, but it’s a bit scary. Looking at the equipment of the biochemical crisis response team, it seems premeditated, ready to once again bring disaster and calamity through another round of lockdowns.”