2 more Zika cases reported in South China

Southern China's Guangdong Province reported two new Zika cases on Monday, bringing the total number of imported infections on the Chinese mainland to 12.

A 47-year-old father and his 6-year-old daughter tested positive for the Zika virus in Enping City, the provincial health and family planning commission said in a statement.

The two returned from Venezuela on March 3 and developed symptoms of fever and skin rash on March 5. They then went to hospital and told doctors about their trip and were later confirmed to have contracted the virus.

The two are being treated and are in stable condition.

The commission said more cases are expected in the coming month as a large number of Chinese will return home from infected countries for the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global emergency in early February amid a Zika outbreak in Central and South America. China has also been on alert as experts warn the warming weather may facilitate the spread of the mosquito-borne virus.

China's central health authority has called for public venues, including bus stations, markets and residential communities to be thoroughly cleaned to eradicate the breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other bugs.

Symptoms of Zika include fever, joint pain, rash, conjunctivitis, headache and muscle pain. It is also a suspected cause of microcephaly in new-born babies.

Source: Xinhua