PHNOM PENH: The Cambodian government has identified the "mystery disease" that affected more than 160 people in Poipet town.
The Health Ministry said in a statement that at least 168 people were examined at the Poipet health centre and preliminary tests showed it was Chikungunya.
It said residents of Poipet commune's Kbal Koh, Poipet and O'Chrov villages, and those from Phsar Kandal commune's Prey Kub, O'Neang and O'Russey villages experienced fever with temperatures of 38º Celsius, red skin rashes and joint pain.
Of the 168 people admitted to hospitals, the ministry said the conditions of 32 people were serious but their health have since improved.
The Khmer Times reports Health Minister Mam Bun Heng as saying that preventive measures against Chikungunya were similar to those for dengue fever.
Chikungunya is a viral illness transmitted by mosquitoes with symptoms that include abnormal fever, sore throat, skin rashes and serious joint pains and, in some cases, convulsions.
Chikungunya is not life-threatening in itself as patients can recover within a week. However, if a patient catches the virus while having other diseases, it can be life-threatening.
The ministry said it was also testing some of the patients for Covid-19 infection.
Bun Heng urged the relevant authorities to continue disseminating information about the disease to the community, especially in schools, so that residents and children were aware of the danger and the preventive measures.
Meanwhile, The Phnom Penh Post reports that health officials in other provinces launched a campaign to spray mosquito repellent on residents' homes and put mosquito larvicide in large water basins, which are commonly found outside houses.
The ministry said the re-emergence of the virus in the province could signal another public health risk.
Provincial Department of Health director Le Chan Sangvat told the Post that after the outbreak of Chikungunya in the villages, emergency response teams of the provincial hospital sprayed disinfectant in target villages in Poipet town.
Sangvat called on residents to be vigilant against an outbreak of Chikungunya and practise preventive measures like removing mosquito habitats, sanitising homes and sleeping under mosquito nets.
Preah Vihear provincial Department of Health director Kuong Lo said disinfectants were sprayed around residents' houses in three villages bordering the Laos border in Chheb district after many patients were believed to have developed Chikungunya.