CHINA – China has introduced new health regulations intended to curb the rising chikungunya virus cases.

The regulations pertain to early warnings to define key components such as the scope and definitions, key procedures, and operating mechanisms, according to the state news agency Xinhua.

The National Disease Control and Prevention Administration’s regulations instruct early warnings for public health threats caused by notifiable diseases, emerging infectious diseases, illnesses of unknown cause, and other high-risk infections to the potentially affected populations.

The relevant departments and institutions are expected to take precautions in advance with the warnings, as well as collect surveillance data, conduct risk assessments, identify possible public health threats, and determine epidemic risk levels, which should be classified into four tiers.

Detailed risk classification standards will be formulated separately later.