• China tops in Asia with nearly 8,000 cases in southern Guangdong province

ISTANBUL

Mosquito-borne viral fever chikungunya cases are rising, and since the beginning of this year some 240,000 infections have been recorded across the world, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

The virus cases were recorded until July in 16 countries and regions across the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe, causing 90 deaths.

A bulk of the cases were reported in Latin America, while over 34,000 infections were confirmed in Asia from China, India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Singapore, Pakistan, Taiwan as well as Hong Kong.

The Americas account for the highest number of chikungunya cases, with Brazil recording 185,553, Bolivia 4,721, Argentina 2,836, and Peru 55.

In Asia, the southern Chinese province of Guangdong saw the most cases of the viral disease – nearly 8,000 – this year.

Singapore and Taiwan also recorded 17 infections each, with many of the infected having a travel history to affected regions.

The African region reported chikungunya cases in Senegal and Kenya.

Meanwhile, the EU and European Economic Area nations reported imported cases from other African countries, such as Madagascar and the Seychelles, “possibly indicating more widespread circulation of chikungunya in the Indian Ocean region.”

The chikungunya virus is spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito, and most common symptoms include fever and joint pain.

The virus is rarely fatal, but newborns, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems face a greater risk.