The Cuban Government has so far recognized 44 deaths from dengue and chikungunya.
MIAMI, United States. – Several governments maintain active alerts aimed at their citizens about the risks of traveling to Cuba in the midst of an arbovirus epidemic—mainly dengue and chikungunya—that the Cuban authorities themselves have recognized as such.
So far, the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) of Cuba has recognized 44 deaths from arboviruses in recent months, many of them in children under 18 years of age. Francisco Durán García himself, head of Epidemiology at MINSAP, admitted that the wave of mosquito-borne diseases has affected almost a third of the population.
Since late September, the CDC They maintain a level 2 travel advisory for Cubawhich implies high risk due to an active chikungunya outbreak and the recommendation to take reinforced precautions. The agency explains that the disease is transmitted by mosquitoes, insists on the systematic use of repellent, long-sleeved clothing and accommodation with air conditioning or mosquito nets, and notes that “vaccination is recommended for travelers who visit an area with a chikungunya outbreak.”
On that same basis, the Embassy of USA in Havana issued a “health alert” on September 30 (the diplomatic headquarters has reiterated it several times). The State Department, for its part, maintains a general travel advisory for Cuba for political and security reasons, but expressly refers to the CDC page for the most recent information on health risks.
In it United Kingdomthe Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its health section in the Cuba travel guide to reflect official recognition from Havana and the CDC advisory. The text indicates that “the Cuban Government has declared an arbovirus epidemic” after the increase in cases of dengue, Oropouche and chikungunya, and adds that the CDC has issued a level 2 warning for the chikungunya outbreak on the Island.
The FCDO also refers to the TravelHealthPro platform, of the British public health system, where Cuba is listed as having a risk of dengue, chikungunya and other viruses transmitted by mosquitoes. The British alert level does not prohibit travel, but it does recommend that citizens assess the health risk, consult vaccination information and take extreme prevention measures against bites.
In the case of Spainthe Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation has tightened its travel recommendations. The official fact sheet about Cuba indicates that the country “is currently suffering from a serious epidemic, with simultaneous outbreaks of various viral diseases transmitted by mosquitoes”, among which dengue and chikungunya stand out.
According to a recent analysis of The Digital Confidentialwhich directly cites these official recommendations, Foreign Affairs advises travelers to “refrain from traveling to Cuba if you are not vaccinated” against chikungunya and remembers that it is the only vaccine currently available in Spain, in addition to recommending getting vaccinated against dengue and hepatitis A before traveling to the Island.
Mexico It has also issued a specific notice to its citizens. The embassy of that country in Havana published on its official website a statement titled “Notice about arbovirosis”, in which it refers to the “complex health situation derived from the transmission of arboviruses (dengue, Zika, chikungunya, Oropuche)” on the Island and recommends that those who plan to travel take out medical expenses insurance with coverage in Cuba.
The text emphasizes that “it is highly recommended to have medical insurance with coverage on the Island, in case you require medical attention,” and urges tourists to use plenty of mosquito repellent and, if possible, long-sleeved clothing and pants. In addition to the specific notice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains a country tab where it reminds that Mexicans need a visa to travel to Cuba and refers to the embassy for additional information, including the health notices section.
Even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russiaa historical ally of the Havana regime and one of the main sources of tourists to the Island, has disseminated several notes about the situation in Cuba. In one of them, published on the official website of the embassy of that Eurasian country in Havana, it recommends taking precautionary measures “in relation to the existing epidemiological situation in Cuba and the reports from the local Ministry of Health on the increased incidence on the Island of tropical fevers such as dengue and chikungunya.”
In subsequent statements, the Russian legation has insisted in that “a complex epidemiological situation remains in Cuba due to arboviruses transmitted by mosquito bites” and has “insistently” recommended using repellent and closed clothing, especially during the hours of greatest mosquito activity. Russian tourism-oriented media have collected these warnings from the embassy and expressly present them as recommendations for those who plan to travel to the Island.
Also Canada maintains a general risk level for Cuba to “exercise a high degree of caution” due to shortages of food, medicine and fuel, and includes in the health section reference to mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue and chikungunya, through the specific health advisories of its Public Health Agency. Although the text does not use the word “epidemic”, it does consider these viruses as a travel risk in the current context.
Other governments have reinforced the health sections of their guides to Cuba, focusing on diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. The Australian Government’s Smartraveller website, for example, warns that in Cuba “diseases transmitted by insects, including dengue and chikungunya, are common” and urges people to ensure that accommodation is insect-proof and to use repellent. The official SafeTravel platform, of the New Zealand Government, also mentions Cuba among the destinations where diseases transmitted by insects—including dengue—represent a relevant health risk.
Outside the strictly governmental sphere, organizations and media specialized in health and travel have been highlighting the Cuban case. Various reports indicate that the CDC included Cuba among the countries for which it has issued travel advisories for chikungunya in recent months, and that travelers from the Island have been diagnosed with this disease upon returning to Europe.
In Cuba, the deterioration of environmental conditions—accumulated garbage, stagnant water, supply cuts that prevent basic hygiene from being maintained—has created an ideal scenario for the proliferation of mosquitoes. Aedes aegypti and other vectors. Added to this is the coexistence of other viruses, such as Oropouche, which complicate differential diagnosis and further saturate health services.
So far, none of the major tourist-sending powers have come to the point of generally recommending avoiding all non-essential travel to Cuba exclusively due to the arbovirus epidemic, but they have tightened health warnings and, in the case of Spain, have gone so far as to suggest that you do not travel if you do not have the recommended vaccines.
For Cubans, these international alerts are also an external confirmation of a crisis that they have been suffering for months within the country without full access to data, medicines or adequate support treatments.
