While the U.S. State Department issues travel advisories based on the political and safety situation in a given country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rates and releases warnings about health-related dangers in different parts of the world.

Assigned to specific outbreaks rather than individual countries, the rankings range from level one’s “practice usual precautions” (for diseases that are consistently present in a given region) to level four’s “avoid all travel,” in the case of pandemics and other major health crises.

“Protect yourself by preventing mosquito bites”: CDC travel advisory for The Seychelles

Since the summer of 2025, the CDC has kept an advisory over the outbreak of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus known to cause fever, swelling, and joint pain that in some cases can become severe and last for years. 

Last year’s outbreak began in China’s Guangdong province, and now it has hit the African island nation of The Seychelles. This week, the CDC issued a level two “practice enhanced precautions” advisory, warning travelers to take steps to prevent mosquito bites.

Related: US government issues travel advisory over new disease outbreak

“You can protect yourself by preventing mosquito bites, which includes using insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, and staying in places with air conditioning or that have screens on the windows and doors,” the advisory reads.

Often associated with extreme luxury, The Seychelles is sought out by many ultra-wealthy travelers due to its remote location in the Indian Ocean and high concentration of private island resorts.

The country’s health care system is considered to be among the best in Africa, but the remoteness of many of the private islands to which international visitors travel could limit access in an emergency.

The Seychelles are made up of 114 individual islands, around 12 of which are inhabited by permanent residents and several dozen of which are used for resorts or day visits. The largest island of Mahé is the main point where travelers arrive, and from which they leave to reach more remote destinations.

The Seychelles is a country in the Indian Ocean associated with extreme luxury.

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What else to know about Seychelles travel in 2026

As the chikungunya virus can be passed on from mother to child and newborn babies are particularly at risk of severe illness, the CDC urges pregnant mothers to “reconsider travel to affected areas particularly if you are close to delivering your baby.”

The two chikungunya vaccines currently approved in the U.S. include the live-attenuated vaccine IXCHIQ and a virus-like particle vaccine called VIMKUNYA. Both can be prescribed to those traveling to an area with an outbreak, but the CDC recommends that pregnant women “defer [getting the vaccine] until after delivery” unless “the risk of infection is high and exposure cannot be avoided.”

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This means the official guidance is for pregnant women who are not vaccinated to avoid travel rather than seeking out the vaccine. Everyone else simply needs to be more careful to avoid mosquito bites and not ignore symptoms if they do emerge between three to seven days after being bitten.

“Seek medical care if you develop fever, joint pain, headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash, during or after travel,” the CDC concludes.

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