CDC Issues Travel Warning for Hot Vacation Spot

Clear blue water and white sands are a draw for beachgoers. However, the CDC has issued a travel warning for people visiting Seychelles beaches following an outbreak of the chikungunya virus. The warning is a Level 2, which means people should practice enhanced precautions, but not to avoid all travel.

What Is the Chikungunya Virus?

Spread by mosquitoes, the virus causes severe joint pain, fever, headache, rashes, and fatigue. Symptoms show up between three and seven days after you’ve been bitten.

“Some can have severe joint pain for months to years following acute illness,” the CDC said on its website. “Death from chikungunya is rare.”

How to Protect Yourself

Wearing long sleeves and long pants outdoors, and using bug spray can help to protect you, although this might not seem ideal for people wanting to play and swim at the beautiful beaches. There’s also a chikungunya you can get before traveling to an area that has an outbreak.

Other Outbreaks

According to the CDC, a few other places are having an outbreak, including:

• Bolivia (Santa Cruz and Cochabamba Departments)
• Cuba
• Sri Lanka
• Suriname

Few cases have been reported in the U.S. Only one last year was locally acquired, and 466 cases were associated with travel.