A new travel warning from federal health officials is raising concerns for Americans planning trips overseas, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cautions against outbreaks of an untreatable mosquito-borne virus across several countries. The agency issued Level 2 advisories Friday for Cuba, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and China’s Guangdong Province, urging travelers to “practice enhanced precautions” amid expanding chikungunya transmission.
Chikungunya has no treatment, though officials stress vaccines are available and recommended for those visiting affected regions. The CDC notes the illness typically begins three to seven days after being bitten by an infected mosquito, with patients commonly experiencing fever and joint pain. Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling or a rash, and while most recover within a week, the World Health Organization warns that some may suffer “severe joint pain lasting months or even years” or “require hospitalization because of the risk of organ damage and death.”
WHO reported 445,000 suspected and confirmed cases and 155 deaths worldwide between January and September 2025. Guangdong Province has confirmed 16,000 locally transmitted cases—its largest outbreak on record. Cuba has documented 34 confirmed cases, while Bangladesh reported 700 suspected infections in Dhaka. Sri Lanka recorded 150 confirmed cases early in the year, with cases peaking in June.
The CDC also cautioned that Americans traveling to Brazil, Colombia, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand could face elevated risk, even without active outbreaks. The U.S. has not seen locally acquired cases since 2019.
