A tropical island popular for its white-sand beaches and clear waters is battling an outbreak of a deadly virus that had prompted Covid-era precautions in China last year.
The CDC has issued a Level 2 travel advisory for Mauritius, urging Americans to ‘practice enhanced precautions’ when visiting over concerns of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus.
The virus is vaccine-preventable, and all international travelers to these destinations should get the shots before they leave the US, according to the health agency. Americans should also wear insect repellent and long clothing to reduce the risk of being bitten.
Chikungunya tears through communities with large populations of infected mosquitoes, causing rapid, large outbreaks.
In 2026, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, Guyana, Mauritius, Peru and Saint Lucia have all reported chikungunya virus cases for the first time, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
As of February 28, 2026, the latest data available from the ECDC, there have been 32,758 chikungunya cases and nine associated deaths this year across at least 18 countries.
In Mauritius, the first case was reported in January and ‘the current outbreak seems to have an increasing trend, with more cases reported in February when compared to January.’
According to Government Information Service Mauritius, from January to May 11, 2026, the nation recorded 2,816 local chikungunya cases, including 102 active cases as of May 12.
In Mauritius (pictured above), the first case was reported in January and ‘the current outbreak seems to have an increasing trend’
The chikungunya virus is transmitted to humans through bites from Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes infected with it
Mauritius is a small island country in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of East Africa popular among honeymooners and outdoor enthusiasts. It sees about 1.3 million visitors a year, including 15,000 Americans.
Reports from officials in local outlet L’Express said ‘authorities are observing a gradual increase in infections, which requires particular attention from public health services.’
L’Express also reported that officials said the outbreaks are concentrated in certain regions of the country, including Rose-Hill, Plaisance, Stanley, Camp-Levieux, Mont-Roche, and Roche-Brunes.
In China, the outbreak began in Foshan on July 8, 2025, with over 3,000 confirmed cases in the first two weeks and more than 10,000 less than two months later.
Guangdong Province implemented aggressive, technology-driven vector control modeled on Covid measures, including eliminating stagnant water, releasing larvae-eating fish, door-to-door inspections, mandatory patient isolation and strict surveillance to curb the spread.
Chikungunya has already made it to the US. In September 2025, New York health officials reported that a 60-year-old Hempstead, Long Island woman was diagnosed with a suspected case the previous month.
Having not traveled off the island, lab tests then confirmed she contracted the virus locally, marking the first locally acquired case ever recorded in New York.
Three additional people in New York had tested positive for chikungunya in 2025 after returning from countries where the virus is known to circulate, according to New York’s Department of Health.
A worker sprays insecticide at a residential community on July 29, 2025 in Foshan, Guangdong Province of China as it battled a chikungunya outbreak
A worker sprays insecticide at a public housing estate following reports of imported cases of Chikungunya in Hong Kong last summer
The chikungunya virus is transmitted to humans by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes infected with it.
Symptoms of the virus generally appear three to seven days after being bitten.
The infection first appears as a severe flu with a high fever and excruciating joint pain, typically in the hands, feet and knees. A rash, headache, and severe muscle aches quickly follow.
While most people start to feel better after a week or two, the joint pain can be persistent.
For many, it lingers, causing ongoing stiffness, swelling and arthritis-like pain that can last for months or even years.
There is no specific treatment for chikungunya, but the death rate is generally low, around one in 1,000 symptomatic cases.
However, the risk of death is far higher, up to 15 percent, among people with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, kidney and heart disease.
Chikungunya deaths are often more directly caused by complications from kidney and brain failure rather than the virus itself.
Last year, there were more than 459,000 cases and 146 associated deaths due to the chikungunya virus reported worldwide.
In the US, the CDC reported one locally acquired case and 466 travel-associated cases.
The vaccine is about 98 percent effective, with nearly everyone maintaining immunity for about three years after getting the shot.
