The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an urgent Level 2 travel advisory, indicating travelers should “practice enhanced precautions” for Cuba, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and China’s Guangdong Province due to a significant increase in the mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus (CHIKV).
CDC has issued travel health notices for four countries contending with chikungunya outbreaks in recent months. https://t.co/A3Apd1glHT
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The advisory comes as the World Health Organization reported a global total of nearly 445,000 suspected and confirmed cases and 155 deaths between January and September 2025, highlighting a resurgence in several regions. Specific outbreaks include a staggering 16,000 confirmed locally transmitted cases in China’s Guangdong Province and hundreds of suspected cases in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka.
Chikungunya is known for causing debilitating symptoms, including high fever and severe, often long-lasting, joint pain, which can lead to rare but serious complications.
[Image of Aedes aegypti mosquito] Given that there is currently no specific antiviral treatment, the CDC strongly advises travelers to focus on prevention; using insect repellents containing DEET, wearing long-sleeved clothing, and sleeping in air-conditioned or well-screened rooms to avoid bites from the transmitting Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.
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The CDC also noted that other tropical destinations, including Brazil, India, and Pakistan, pose an elevated risk of infection, even without current active outbreaks.
