24 Jul 2020 | 01:08 PM UTC
Cambodia: Chikungunya outbreak reported in Poipet City (Banteay Meanchey Province) July 23
Chikungunya outbreak reported in Poipet City (Banteay Meanchey Province) as of July 23; further spread of the disease is likely in the coming days and weeks.
Event
A Chikungunya outbreak has recently been reported in Poipet City and the surrounding area. According to health officials, people in six villages in Banteay Meanchey Province have shown signs of the illness.
The further spread of the disease is likely in the near term.
Context
Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne disease. Symptoms include high fever, joint and muscle pain, rash, headache, nausea, and fatigue. The virus is rarely fatal but lingering joint pain can last for several weeks or months after the initial recovery. No treatment or vaccine for the virus is currently available.
Advice
Those in the region are advised to take measures to protect themselves from mosquito bites (e.g. wearing covering clothing, using insect repellent, sleeping in a screened-in or air-conditioned room) and to eliminate possible mosquito breeding grounds (e.g. small pools of fresh water, such as rainwater that has collected in cans, bottles, tires, flowerpots, clogged gutters, etc.).
