The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published a fresh set of travel health notices highlighting new and ongoing outbreaks across several regions, with particular focus on mosquito-borne diseases and Ebola-related activity. The notices, grouped into four levels of concern, are meant to guide both travelers and clinicians on the health risks tied to specific destinations. Conditions flagged in the latest updates include Zika, multiple Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) outbreaks, chikungunya, dengue, diphtheria, malaria and hepatitis A.
One of the newest alerts centers on Bali, Indonesia, where returning travelers have been reporting cases of Zika. The CDC has classified this as a Level 2 situation, indicating that all travelers to Bali should take steps to prevent mosquito bites. The notice also underscores the need to guard against sexual transmission of Zika virus during and after travel, reflecting concern about how infections may spread beyond the immediate destination.
Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease is driving a cluster of notices covering different provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring Uganda. For Uganda and DRC areas not directly affected by the current BVD outbreak, the CDC has issued a Level 2 notice advising enhanced precautions, signaling elevated but not prohibitive risk. In contrast, Haut-Uélé and Tshopo provinces in the DRC are under a Level 3 notice, with the CDC recommending that travelers avoid nonessential trips due to the outbreak in those provinces.
The most stringent restrictions are aimed at Ituri and Nord-Kivu provinces of the DRC, where the CDC has assigned a Level 4 notice. In these areas, the agency recommends avoiding all travel unless the purpose is humanitarian aid or emergency response. The layered approach across Uganda and multiple DRC provinces illustrates how risk assessments can vary sharply even within one region, depending on the intensity and location of BVD activity.
Beyond Ebola and Zika, several countries are now under advisories for chikungunya, a viral disease spread by mosquitoes that can cause fever and joint pain. Nicaragua is reporting increased chikungunya cases, with most infections concentrated in Managua, and has been placed under a Level 2 notice urging travelers to focus on mosquito bite prevention. A similar Level 2 alert has been issued for northwest Costa Rica and for French Guiana, where outbreaks of chikungunya are also under way and travelers are again being told that personal protection against mosquitoes is their best defense.
On a broader scale, the CDC has reinforced that dengue remains a year-round risk across many parts of the world, noting that outbreaks typically occur every two to five years. This global dengue notice is set at Level 1 and specifically mentions destinations such as Colombia, Samoa, Vietnam, New Caledonia, Maldives, Bolivia, Tonga, Cambodia, Kenya, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Travelers to these listed areas are being advised to prevent mosquito bites, reflecting the widespread, recurring nature of dengue without recommending changes to overall travel plans.
The alerts extend beyond mosquito-borne viruses, with Haiti now under a Level 1 notice for diphtheria following an outbreak in the country. The CDC stresses that vaccination against diphtheria is essential for protection, a reminder that routine immunizations remain a cornerstone of safe international travel. In Canada, a Level 1 notice has been issued for hepatitis A, after Manitoba reported a hepatitis A virus outbreak tied to close person-to-person contact and contaminated food or drink.
Rounding out the current list of notices are two Level 2 advisories for malaria, covering Yemen and Mayotte. Both destinations have reported increased malaria cases, including in areas of Yemen that had previously been considered low risk. The CDC notes that malaria is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes, and the move to Level 2 status highlights the need for travelers to these regions to take enhanced precautions in light of changing transmission patterns.