(The Hill) – An outbreak of the chikungunya virus in the manufacturing hub of Foshan near Hong Kong has prompted Chinese authorities to implement robust precautionary measures to prevent new cases from the mosquito-borne illness.

What is Chikungunya?

Chikungunya is a disease caused by a virus carrying the same name. It was first discovered in 1952 in Tanzania, but cases and outbreaks have since been reported in more than 100 countries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The virus spreads mostly in tropical and subtropical regions, and outbreaks have become more frequent and widespread since 2004, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

In addition to the Guangdong Province of China, eight other countries are currently seeing outbreaks: Bolivia,

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