Chikungunya in the Americas and Caribbean
09 Aug 2017
Chikungunya continues to be transmitted by mosquitoes in the Americas and the Caribbean. Brazil remains the country with the largest number of cases (131749).
Countries affected, with total case numbers, are shown below. Country groupings are as described by PAHO/WHO.
Costa Rica: 235
El Salvador: 365
Panama: 1 589
Bolivia: 3 141
Colombia: 7 471
Peru: 1 429
Brazil: 13 1749
Puerto Rico: 8
Saint Barthelemy: 3
Saint Martin (France): 3
Advice for Travellers
No vaccine is available against chikungunya. Avoidance of mosquito bites is the only reliable means of prevention. Methods of bite avoidance include:
- Wearing long, loose, lightly coloured clothing to cover up the skin.
- The use of insect repellant containing DEET applied to any exposed skin.
- The use of permethrin, impregnated mosquito nets.
- The use of air conditioning if available and/or mesh screening of windows and doors.
- Eradication of mosquito breeding sites around the home (e.g. open containers, old tyres or flower pots that may collect water).
For further information see Chikungunya Fever.