Havana/The epidemiological situation in Cuba is so serious that even an ally like Russia has been forced to issue a new international alert for its travelers. The embassy in Havana, citing a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, has recommended its citizens take extreme precautions in the face of the rebound in cases of dengue and chikungunya. Suggested measures include the use of repellent, close-fitting, long-sleeved clothing during the period of greatest mosquito activity, and avoiding areas with standing water.
Concern about the epidemic in Cuba has been noted in Russia in the last days. The press has reacted with growing alarm, questioning the safety of traveling to the Island during the year-end holidays.
Epidemiologist Guennadi Onishchenko, from the Russian Academy of Sciences, advised citizens to “return their tourist packages” and opt for destinations close to Moscow, considering that “risking contracting an infectious disease is, at the very least, reckless.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry has recommended its citizens take extreme precautions against the epidemic in Cuba
The newspaper Gazeta defined the situation as “critical” and estimated that in the most affected areas there are currently some 1,500 Russian tourists, of whom at least 14 have fallen ill.
The actual numbers of infected Russians appear to be higher. Cases of people with the virus frequently appear on social networks. In the Facebook group Russians in Cubatourist Anna Lynn told the case of her husband, infected with the virus in Holguín and with a fever of 40º. “We called the doctor and the diagnosis was chikungunya. But they told us that there is no treatment, only water and rest. I am very worried,” she said.
Other countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada have previously warned about the epidemiological situation on the Island.
The health situation on the Island and the recent alert issued by Moscow could affect the number of Russian visitors arriving in Cuba in the coming weeks, which would further accentuate the current drop, of 36.2%, in Russian travelers for the first ten months of this year (99,908, instead of 156,614 in 2024).
Other countries have previously warned. One of the first was USAwhich since September issued through its Embassy in Havana a health alert for anyone who wants to travel to Cuba, due to the chikungunya outbreak that is registering the entire Island. The risk was then determined at Level 2, which requires taking “additional precautions.”
The Canadian government maintains its warning to “exercise a high degree of caution” when traveling to Cuba, updated on November 25, 2025. The note explicitly includes Cuba as a destination with a risk of mosquito-borne diseases.
The United Kingdom Foreign Office, in its recently updated travel guide to Cuba, reported the declared arbovirus epidemic on the island and recommended travelers take precautions to prevent bites.
Several of the alerts agree that the risk not only comes from arboviruses but also from a health infrastructure in crisis, with a shortage of medicines, irregular water supply, and difficulties in accessing adequate medical care.
